Sir Elton John shares the moment he was left speechless while recording his new album

US founding father Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that “nothing is certain but death and taxes” and though we all experience both, we don’t often think about them in song, unless you’re superstar Sir Elton John.

The legendary entertainer was recently struck by a powerful emotional moment while working on new material, which left him speechless when he realised the song he was working on was about his own mortality.

The entertainment legend shared the startling anecdote while appearing on an episode of The Graham Norton Show where he was promoting his new album Who Believes in Angels?

During the interview, Norton discussed a video of the 77-year-old star making the rounds on social media that shows him bursting into tears after he finished playing a new song.

Sir Elton explained that his long-time collaborator, Bernie Taupin, gave him a lyric called “When this whole world is done with me” and when he got to the chorus, the singer realised that “it’s about my death, my demise.”

“As a 76-year-old man, which I was at that time, and having children and having a husband, mortality, you think about it, how long have I got, how I hope I’ve got much longer than maybe I’ve got, and so by the time I got to the chorus and I started singing it, I lost it for 45 minutes,” he said.

“It was a very, very heavy moment for me and after 45 minutes of me being consoled I was OK, I recorded it the next day.

“When you’re singing about being washed out to sea and the end of your life, it took me by surprise.”

In addition to reflecting on his own mortality, the Tiny Dancer singer has talked openly about his recent vision problems, sharing that while there have been some “miserable” days, he remains “optimistic” about his recovery.

The 77-year-old singer revealed in an Instagram post in September 2024 that his vision had been affected in his right eye after contracting an infection.

“Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye,” he explained at the time.

“I am healing but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.

“I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks.”

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Sir Elton gave further insight into how he’s coping with his vision challenges while maintaining an upbeat attitude.

“I’m an optimist permanently,” he told the publication.

“I’ve got bad eyesight at the moment. There have been days where I’ve been miserable, but then I think about how lucky I am. I’ve got a new respect for sight-impaired people and people who are totally blind, some of whom I’m in touch with.

“But to hell with it, I’ve got a great life, and hopefully my sight will improve.”