I remember that he called Bernie to revise the lyrics, as if only Bernie Taupin could have written those crappy words to the revised version.
FTR, I think he’s written some brilliant lyrics, such as Daniel, Major Tom, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, etc. It’s just the revised “Goodbye English Rose” lyrics that I think are crap.
Also, this is JUST MY OPINION. It’s not a FACT. Heh.
Er, and by “Major Tom,” of course I mean “Rocket Man.”
Major Tom is a better song, though.
That is news to me, and maybe you should read up on Billy Elliot the musical. I would love to go downhill like Sir Elton.
Elton John is a composer. He is not a lyricist or even a wordsmith, and he has never claimed to be an expert on USA politics. He is entitled to his opinion on the subject.
And *that’s * a fact! 
On this we can agree, Dio, although I think that in terms of their solo work Elton far outshines both Lennon and McCartney.
All this misogyny talk reminds me of something one of my friends said once. We were looking at a book entitled Elton John’s Flower Fantasies, and while most of his homes are beautiful and well-appointed, there was one I didn’t particularly care for because of its old-fashioned paintings and furnishings. I told her that I didn’t care for it much, that it looked like an old lady’s house, and she said: “Well, he IS an old lady!” 
And we’re entitled to think he’s a self-righteous git, and we’re entitled to say so.
Incidentally, I’ve never heard him claim to be an expert on US politics, but he certainly feels entitled to weigh in on the US character, and does so in vapid and condescending ways.
That in no way denies his brilliance as a composer or talent as a singer, any more than thinking Bobby Fischer was a raving lunatic and a complete bastard denies the man’s ability to push a rook.
Everybody happy?
Only if you neglect the fact that a lot of the best-known Beatles songs after HELP! were really solo compositions by Lennon OR McCartney with an occasional gem by Harrison (George Martin played a hand, of course, but it’s not like Elton works in a vaccuum).
And only if you neglect the fact that Elton John, to my knowledge, has never penned a song alone. See above re: a chap named Bernie Taupin.
I specifically only commented on his ability as a composer, not as an overall songwriter. Elton John has that rare gift for melody that Thaikovsky had, that Gershwin had that Paul McCartney had and that most songwriters would kill for. It’s not easy to consistently come up with tunes that stick in your head without being cloying.
They may have been solo compositions but they still benefitted by input, vocally and instrumentally, from the other Beatles. But be that as it may, I was actually referring to the Beatles’ solo work once the band broke up.
Actually, I believe I was the chap who first mentioned Taupin. 
In my comments above I was speaking to Dio’s assessment of them in terms of “pure music,” which I took to mean notes rather than words. In other words, I was saying I would rank Elton’s musicality, sans words, above that of either Lennon or McCartney once they had gone solo.
And on preview, I see that Dio has clarified things himself.
I just looked up Bernie Taupin in Wikipedia and found out he wrote the words to “We Built this City.”
All Respect = Gone.
While I didn’t know that either, I wouldn’t say “all” my respect for him is gone. Still, I’ve always found Taupin’s lyrics to be somewhat hit or miss with even the hits sometimes having odd or disjointed elements to them. I think it goes to show Elton’s talent even more that he is able to craft such memorable songs from Taupin’s work.
But I would agree with you in regard to Elton’s ability to correctly assess politics, politicians and the American character. In this regard he is indeed a useless git.