LogFAQs > #956671620

72. Elton John Your Song (1970)
from the album Elton John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT3D1Cu6g10

Key lyrics:
I hope you dont mind, I hope you dont mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is while youre in the world

Though Elton John has had a long and illustrious career, nothing hits quite like his breakthrough single. Your Song is about as perfect as a traditional love song can be. The lyrics are sincerely effective, any sense of sentimentality cut down by Eltons delivery of humbling lines. As he begins a metaphor about a sculptor, he laughs and stops himself. There is a sense of self-awareness about this song, which adds to the sincerity as Elton belts out the heartfelt chorus. This is a song that has brought me tears of joy, and even when I find myself between relationships, it remains a striking reminder of the power of love. No declaration of love hits me as hard as those key lines above. The fact this was written by a teenager and performed by a closeted man only reinforces the sense Taupin and Elton tapped into a universal idea.

The arrangement allows Eltons vocals to remain front and center. During the opening, the piano takes up most of the soundscape, with the gentle strum of a guitar adding light punctuation. This is a song that swells as Elton gets caught up in his emotions. The second verse adds percussion, giving a rising sense of motion. Your Song is an exercise in how to subtly expand a quiet ballad into a showstopper. Though Elton is practically shouting by the end, there is no sense of detachment from that quiet opening. The lyrics are phenomenal, but the steadily rising emotional delivery makes Your Song a true masterpiece.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/