Legendary Elton John Songwriter Bernie Taupin Steps Out On His Own

Jul 30, 2026 12:39 AM - 2 hours ago 1

It’s almost intolerable to perceive the sanction Bernie Taupin and not deliberation Elton John.

Throughout their astir six-decade partnership, the legendary duo has collaborated connected much than 400 songs and 30-plus workplace albums. Taupin famously writes the lyrics independently of John, who past takes the prose and puts it to music. The alchemy that ensues has bubbled into iconic treasures for illustration Bennie and the Jets, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down connected Me, I’m Still Standing and Crocodile Rock.

But there’s different broadside to Taupin’s artistry. In this scenario, he is some scribe and showman, a truth that’s unbeknownst to galore fans. Those aforesaid fans besides whitethorn beryllium unaware he has released 3 solo albums—one successful the early 70s and 2 successful the 80s—and 2 albums pinch his ain roots-rock band, Farm Dogs, which he formed successful the mid-90s and took connected the roadworthy successful support of their 2 albums.

While buzz builds connected the adjacent John task and Taupin’s imaginable contributions, the second is much willing successful discussing thing much timely—his first solo task successful astir 40 years and, remarkably, the first medium he has wholly self-written.

Due retired October 23 connected Vertigo Records and MCA Nashville, The Sea Has No Mercy is simply a soaring postulation that finds a contemplative Taupin distilling his lived experiences into 10 songs that each peel backmost the curtain and bring a unsocial perspective—sometimes hushed, sometimes joyful, sometimes elegiac. Featured guests see Brandi Carlile, Lee Ann Womack, and his daughter, Georgey,

It’s a task Taupin says has been, rather literally, a life successful the making.

“I’m 76, I’ve sewage a life nether my belt. You’re not arsenic intuitive erstwhile you’re younger. That’s not an insult; it’s conscionable a truth of life. I’ve needed my past to pave the measurement for what I want to opportunity successful the present. I consciousness I person much contented now and I’m amended equipped to convey a life of callback and reflection,” he says.

While merchandise is still a fewer months out, a profoundly satisfying appetizer tin beryllium had connected the caller section of the Sad Song Queens podcast, retired July 29. Taupin dropped successful connected the self-proclaimed SSQs, euphony supervisors by time Laura Webb and Lindsay Wolfington, to springiness them the first look the project. The podcast, which launched successful 2025, focuses connected a azygous sad way arsenic a intends for artists to weave individual narratives. Mumford & Sons, Finneas, David Gray, Ashe, Band of Horses, The National, Christina Perri, Snow Patrol and The Fray are among past guests

Taupin proved a natural, and candid, participant. “He whitethorn beryllium painted arsenic a awkward personification aliases acrophobic of the spotlight but he isn’t. He wanted to show the communicative of his life successful these songs connected the caller medium and grounds them successful an friendly way,” Wolfington says.

“Bernie is 1 of the astir prolific songwriters successful the world. He specializes successful melancholy, character-driven storytelling, and profound vulnerability,” says Webb, who calls Your Song “truly 1 of the astir cleanable songs location is… When Bernie walked into the workplace and saw our Sad Song Queens logo, he said, ‘You cognize I wrote a opus astir sad songs.’ To which we said, ‘Oh we know.’ He was truthful genuine and approachable.”

As the lyric successful the referenced 1984 deed goes, sad songs really do opportunity truthful much, according to Taupin. “Sad songs successful wide are much appealing and absorbing than the happy spell lucky, I emotion you, you emotion maine variety,” he tells Forbes. “Pain gives you much ammunition, much colors to create from. Aside from that the affectional worth is much satisfying.”

Given a wealth trove of options to delve into, Webb and Wolfington chose to attraction connected the title track.

“The Sea Has No Mercy moved america deeply, arsenic it felt for illustration a axenic reflection of a man looking backmost connected his life. Lyrically, it had a batch to dive into, truthful we knew it would make for a awesome conversation. And it did. Bernie opened up astir his fearfulness of the unfastened sea, and really arsenic a lyricist, he loves a metaphor. One of our first questions was, What does the oversea represent? Quite a batch it turns out!” Wolfington says.

“The oversea genuinely terrifies him arsenic good arsenic does unfastened water—beautiful and cruel. Bernie almost drowned doubly successful his life, erstwhile pinch his life flashing earlier him. He has nightmares astir tsunamis and the storm. The past segment successful [the film] The Perfect Storm is simply a depiction of his worst nightmare.”

Taupin besides shares 1 of his biggest pet peeves—“Do not telephone him a poet! He mentions that this is simply a thorn successful his paw. He feels poesy and penning lyrics are wholly different artforms,” Webb says—and 1 of his favourite caller voices.

“He is simply a large instrumentality of Olivia Rodrigo! He loves her arsenic a songwriter and person. Talking astir her, we reflected connected really different phases of life animate different kinds of songs. It was truthful cool to perceive personification pinch truthful galore years of songwriting nether his loop respect a newer, young talent.”

Taupin besides dives into immoderate of his songwriting for John. “He told america that Tiny Dancer wasn’t a deed earlier its usage successful Almost Famous and he mentioned that some he and Elton are mostly consenting to licence their music… we emotion that arsenic euphony supervisors,” Wolfington says.

Perhaps astir revealing of all? “He besides tells america really they came up pinch the title The Bitch Is Back, and who the bitch is!”