SOMEONE SAVED HIS LIFE THAT NIGHT

"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is an Elton John song from his album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. The song lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin and refer to a time in 1969 when Elton John was considering marriage to his girlfriend, Linda Woodrow. John and Woodrow were sharing a flat with Taupin in the East End of London. While having serious doubts about the looming marriage and lack of finding success in his musical career John became depressed and contemplated suicide.  It was during this period that Elton sought help from his friends, especially Long John Baldry.

Baldry had been a blues singer in the band Hoochie Coochie Men that at the time also included a young Rod Stewart.  In 1965 the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket and eventually disbanded when Stewart left to pursue a solo career.  Baldry then formed the band Bluesology featuring an unknown Reg Dwight on keyboards with Elton Dean and Caleb Quaye on guitar. Reg Dwight soon adopted the name Elton John, his first name from the guitarist Elton Dean and his surname from Long John Baldry.

Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s when homosexuality was still criminalized and medicalized in Britain. It was Baldry who convinced John to abandon his plans to marry Linda Woodrow in order to salvage and maintain his musical career.  As a sign of his respect and gratitude for Baldry, Taupin wrote him into the song as the ‘someone’ in the title.