Elton John broke down for 45 minutes while singing this song
One of the songs on the music icon's new album brought him to tears, and the reason for this is quite relatable.
Sir Elton John has opened up about the emotional meaning behind one of the songs on his upcoming album.
John and Brandi Carlile are gearing up for the release of their joint album, 'Who Believes In Angels?', set to drop on Friday, April 4.
The singers stopped by the 'SmartLess' podcast to promote the new project.
John reveals that he broke down in tears while recording the last song on the album, 'When This Old World Is Done with Me.'
He says it made him reflect on his mortality.
"I wrote a song at the end of the album and I just get the lyrics, Bernie Taupin's lyrics called 'When This Old World Is Done With Me'. And so I'm writing the verse, like, 'Oh, this is really pretty.' And then I get to the chorus and of course it's about my death," John said.
The 78-year-old says the song also made him think about his husband David Furnish and their two sons, Zachary (14) and Elijah (12).
"When you get to my age, which is near 100, you think, 'How much time have I got left?' You've got children, you've got a wonderful husband, you just think about mortality. And so when I got to the chorus, I just broke down for 45 minutes – and it's all on film."
During the interview, Carlile applauded John for being so raw.
"I want everybody to see it because it's really human, like deeply flawed and embarrassing. And the kind of s*** that you do when you forget that there is a camera on is what's really interesting.
"He got to the end of that chorus and his voice started to shake and I thought, 'Oh, he's going, like he's going to really go.' And he went into a real moment."
In an Instagram post from February, John revealed that recording the album was the "toughest" he had ever done.
However, he also described it as the "greatest musical experiences" of his life.
"I decided I wanted to make an album with @brandicarlile because our friendship was so close, and I just knew the instinct that we could produce something really, really amazing."
ALSO READ: Elton John praises young female pop stars
'Who Believes in Angels?' consists of 10 tracks, including the album's title track, released in February.
John and Carlile also released 'Swing for the Fences' earlier this month.
Fans have praised both songs.
"Awwwwww awesome and motivating song! And beautiful story telling! A love for something and a love for someone," one YouTube user said about 'Swing for the Fences'.
Another user said about 'Who Believes in Angels?': "Elton John is one of the last few remaining pop legends. We must protect this man at all costs. What a talent. It's 2025 and this man is still releasing amazing music."
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Main image credit: Instagram/@eltonjohn