Elton John - Song For Guy

[jaybo197306]

Always loved this. I always seem to listen to it round Christmas time, don't know why

[nula07]

Perhaps the lyrics were "Life, is a temporary thing". Perhaps Claude, since there, can clarify the lyrics. G'head. The music is wonderful; all you guys so "tight" with Elton, do tell. Whatever the end lyrics are are Elton's, and seriously, girls, get over yourselves. Many interpretations of few lyrics; and seriously, nothing has a thing to do with you.

[champion1577]

A wonderful masterpiece and my a time favourite_Jacques(Swaziland)

[theWARMJET]

the intro always remind me of Suede's saturday night

[eltonjazz]

What a beautiful tune. I love the simplicity of it. Upper chordal dominant 8th, dominant 5th and ...... I play this on guitar the same way, and I can't work it out 100%!! Elton has a particular formula. He is a musical and vocal genius. My wife and I named our Chihuahua after him.

[Seattlecarnut]

Beautiful song. Beautiful music. I've always enjoyed his music.

[TalPlayPiano]

Le piano est le plus bel instrument de musique.

Surtout avec d'excellentes musiques comme Song for Guy.

:-)

Chantal

(lepianoarcenciel)

[ArchieMoore]

Life isn't everything..

[deadlyredly1]

sadly missed Guy Burchett-obviously a great human

[jodal38]

How 19 don't like it?

[LlinosChannx]

This reminds me of the day in school a long time ago, when a dear friend Donna played it on piano after hearing it first on the radio, when it first came out. She rocked! what a talent! miss her dearly.....

[GinoTheSinner]

we played this at my fathers funeral. he wasnt a big music fan, but this piece he liked. its too beautiful.

[ChupaGaymistada]

Elton John, a genius of a kind! One in a billion for sure!

[remeclerk]

Alex, my best mate, last song we heard together, as he left the pub on his bike, he was hit by a bus...this is for you mate....always missed

[SuperBoogley]

i always thought it was about a gay

never heard that before until now about guy burchett poor lad

[pakelite]

You're right, my fault.

[wobblypoopantsplop]

i always found the lyric contradictory,although ive finally seen how it isnt.sheer magic.

[CompanionToThePale]

I live. In. Your eyes.

[pakelite]

It's the french guy called "Richard Clayderman" who did that song.. I love Elton but this one is a cover

[ThePurpleangel1984]

@pakelite Elton John WROTE the song, so how can it be a cover?!

[rakdawgel]

@pakelite I think it's played using almost the same chords as "Ballade Pour Adeline" by Richard Clayderman, but the melody is completely different.

[sueaffie]

@rakdawgel Richard Clayderman has barely ever written his own songs, so it's not his song :)

[tonijn1969]

@pakelite Read the wiki Elton John write it maybe Richard Clayderman did cover it

By the way this is a accoustic version,i know there is some synth sound in this song

[sratus]

partridge

[sp4nki]

17 fuckwits know shit about music

[fogmeister224]

Great piano song, classic hit as well as Reg proved he can play it.

[CrusaderBeach]

Wonderful piano instrumental :)

[TheChipz67]

me and my 7 year old daughter love it, an eternal song, Thanks elton.

[caiootravesso]

demais sem comentario!!!

[JJmacd]

The end of this song reminds me of that Alan Partridge bit at the end of the funeral

[mrnocaed]

my favourite elton johns song!!

thanks

[TheShmooda]

no puedo recordar la ultima vez que un musico toque mi corazon como este mujer... ayyyyyy el mundoo hoyy.

[SlowJoman]

fantastic song, my mum used to play it on the record player when i was young. Beautiful.

[npm814]

Hauntingly beautiful.

[spikeysid2007]

gorgeous

[Fitchdownunder]

I had this played as I walked down the aisle to get married 2 weeks ago...the most beautiful tune. Dont care what it was originally meant to mean,. I makes me regret giving up my piano lessons when I was younger!!!

[LaurenBancale]

may be they just elton john, but this song is a benediction

[rudyvg]

heavenly...

[Fredur63]

Merveilleuse musique !

[rafanel81]

is that the young elton john?

[FoN89]

16 people dislike this video, it means they don't like the song, they just dislike the words in the bottom corner "UK GOLD"

Great song and great solo. Life isn't everything!

[thedipaking]

16 personaggi che non capiscono di musica hanno ucciso un mito mettendo non mi piace

[asuazoful]

remember song of the dedicate of guy is dead

[Mayday614]

"life isn't everything"......WOW...what a powerful mindblowing fucking concept.

[jennyschofield]

When this came out it brought back so many memories of my brother who was also killed in a motorcycle accident in '73. It haunts me to this day.

[Hendrucks]

Guy Burchett was a messenger for Elton's label, Rocket Records. According to reviewer Claude Bernadin, Elton wrote and recorded this piece on the afternoon of Sunday, August 18, 1978. He had felt it was a song about death, and only learned the next day that Guy had been killed that very afternoon in a motorcycle accident.

Although it has words - "Life... Isn't ever-y-thing" - this Elton John composition can rightly be classed as an instrumental.

[jonkheere1]

@Hendruc

If not it can be classed as the longest intro to a song ever.

I;m not being pedantic,But the 18th of August 1978, fell on a Friday,The reason I say is that it was 7 Days before My 18th birthday,What a Weekend that was.

Nowadays I celebrate My birthday;s with much more sobriety!

[taffgraves]

best piano solo ever!! its so emotional it really doesnt need anything else!

[hoffenbrack]

I always thought he sang Life is a temporary thing, but now I finally know better.

Still, I guess my interpretation could also have worked. =)

Thanks and greetz from Sweden

[Mischtchratzer]

I met my first and biggest love in 1978 and this is our song.....

[FAiLCAKeS919]

i am learning how to play this. it is one of his simplest songs, yet is really NOT THAT EASY TO LEARN. i mean, it's moderate. he's greaat.

[WynetteClover]

@FAiLCAKeS919 Im also learning to play it. I find the chords in the chorus can be really annoying. If you do one less or one extra, it messes up the entire song. xD

[TheDAVIDASHAW]

I never forget Elton's brilliant playing on this track

[Rocketman2396]

Elton has amazing talent. His piano playing is beautiful, I wish i could be as good :P

[christoskwnsta13]

this song for my friend died yesterday ..16 years old.. why???.......

[fleeb747]

A 17 year old messenger boy died on Sunday, and this is the song that tributes him.

[Sandjewow]

love this song :-) great piano work....i was 2 y.o when this came out ^^

[geo7863]

A touching tribute to the death of a young man, and far far better than that utter dire shite' candle in the wind' ....the original version for Marilyn was just bearable but after Princess Diana's death oh Christ did that song make me want to vomit every time I heard it!

[klassiekerrallydotnl]

@geo7863 Couldn't have said that better myself...

[wozvideo]

@geo7863

You can blame Bernie Taupin for the Diana tribute. Elton wanted Bernie to write a song for Diana. But Bernie said to EJ he was better off using a song that people already knew and changing the lyrics instead of a new song. I believe EJ dosent perform Candle in the wind or English rose anymore.

[melichros]

it is really nice ! i love it so much ! my english is terrible : can anybody says me what are the words ? i hear : "life is a death..." tahnk you very much !

[DeuSeuSuMommotti]

@melichros it's "Life isn't Everything" ;)

[melichros]

@DeuSeuSuMommotti : oh thank you for you answer ! you're great !

[tuesdayjoe]

I seem to remember that Guy was a messenger at Watford FC and he was knocked off his bike and killed...i was little then...i may be wrong.

[Rocketman2396]

I could listen to him just play piano for hours.

[panasker]

I enjoy playing this song, very mellow....

[predisco]

Truly beautiful song I will always carry in my heart.

[DaVilleSound]

Elton was told that Guy (Burchett), his 17 year-old messenger boy, had been tragically killed, on the day he wrote the song, so if felt right to name the song after the young lad.

[ismaol1]

wud be nice to c a mix

[musicalmamma08]

Oh man this was the year I was born.... I must have been rocking away in my crib...... TUNE!!!

[inbarwe]

damn i think that my heart is melting

[mikado54mark]

The song was a requiem for Guy the Gorilla who had recently died at London zoo. Nothing to do with sex, boys or motorbikes

[mikado54mark]

The song was a requiem for Guy the Gorrila who had recently died at London zoo. Nothing to do with sex, boys or motorbikes

[Geoffthewedge]

@mikado54mark

you are wrong

[nula07]

@mikado54mark

It's clear you think this is amusing. One would wonder why. Ask your Mom and Dad. They created your miserable self. 

[odemodem]

giant douche approaching

[jakeyboi0]

chills me out

[notoroberto2009]

SIMPLESMENTE MARAVILHOSO!!!!

[hearts0ngs]

What a great songwriter, singer, performer...Musically, he's got it all!

[Nina010859]

My ABSOLUTE favourite song since '78!! Whenever I happened to listen to this song in the following years things turned to be fine again.

It is said Elton John wrote this song in dedication to his Messenger Boy called Guy, who was struck by a car and killed while riding a motorbike Elton John bought for him for his Birthday. At the time Elton John was recording the album 'A Single Man'. It doesn't have anything to do with Sexual Orientation.

[JohnDuex]

this is song for gay

[Berthagertrude]

@JohnDuex

You are a fucking douchebag.

Just in case you weren't already aware of that.

[JohnDuex]

@Berthagertrude Is Elton John gay or not, you ASSHOLE???

[hearts0ngs]

@JohnDuex Yeah he is gay...next question?

[oscarrox]

Guy was the name of his paperboy

[greengiant123456789]

@oscarrox delivery boy who dies in a motorcycle crash

[oscarrox]

heartfelt song from elton, for his paperboy, who had learning difficulties and died very young

[DizzieBlondeXx]

absoltly lovely.

[piotr1841]

genialna kompozycja.Kiedyś usłyszałem ją w radio i wiedzialem kto ją gra ale nie znałem tytułu.W końcu jest .Wg mnie to jego najlepszy utwór.Wielki szacun dla Janka /Johna/Muzykanta.

[MrDjNegative]

great song think why he whrote this song it is for a guy he passed away

[fadmee]

whenever I listen to that song I feel like its taking my soul out.

[RainerVerhoeven]

wunderbar, contributed to my coming out

[fonbets]

I like ir

[69waterdude]

"Life is a temporary thing..." and we are just passing by....

[kingofkeyboards]

@69waterdude actually he sings "life isn't everything"

[RetroCool73]

Played live with none of the synthersized musical accompaniments of the studio cut, this does genuinely seem like a "original clasical work" beemed in to Top Of The Pops from somewhere else entirely. Which, when we cast aside our pre-concieved notions about Elton, is exactly what it is - classical.

[samuraiguy27]

Played this on piano today. Used to play it when I was 13 or something. Such a great song. Never get sick of it :)

[TheSpencr8]

Woow - Elton sure is young here... a born musician!

[EltonJohnisthebest]

I fucking love him He is God to me

[dameunusuario]

@EltonJohnisthebest he is the best!

[EltonJohnisthebest]

I fucking love him

[pryan37bb]

Wow, he actually looks rather normal

[EltonJohnisthebest]

@pryan37bb yeah seriously nice to see him without those crazy costumes. But I like him with glasses better. He looks so different you don't even recognize him.

[thielees]

I think Joy Division was more on point when it came to writing songs about death.

[kenotram]

Thanks for posting such a great version of a great song. The story is that its dedicated to a rider who died whilst this song was written.

[tomjames2006]

raas.

[robert100xx]

How old would've Guy been now?

[SaturnTrack]

@robert100xx If I'm not mistaken, Guy would have been about 49 by now if he were still alive today.

[goonchistaw]

but life IS everything

live the life you love, love the life you live

[LegendPige]

Penis rap? D:D:D

[cjenkins73]

Amazing

[Hukalula5891]

Penis.

[pianotimable]

:-] epic

[FreakyScream77]

beautiful song :D dont need words

[mizofan]

Great new Elton album The Union with Leon Russell to be released shortly.

[francquie]

the sign of a great musician......with words or without them, he moves you to think.....to cry.....listen to funeral for a friend....same thing....

[musicfreakLove97]

This song ist amazing♥

[radio79junkie]

For those who are wondering what the words are, they are merely 'life...isn't everything", repeated over and over...I wondered the same thing myself until I listened closely.

[lingbring]

no lyrics ? he must be a gay Kunt!!

[Epicurtt]

@lingbring He is gay. Unfortunately your inquizitive and intellectual remark has left you bringing only the ironic fact that the comment describes your characteristics. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[bettyfelon1]

When EJ looks into the camera, it's like he's looking right at me. Brings tears to my eyes. Makes you want to know what is going through his mind..what was happening in his own life at the time that we don't know about, perhaps.

[SparklingBLK]

je n'ai que 23 ans, mais j'ai le souvenir de voir et d'entendre mon père jouer cette chanson au piano...Aujourd'hui, c'est son anniversaire, et le fait d'écouter cette chanson me fait realiser que c'est le meilleur des pères et que je n'ai pas toujours été correct avec lui... Je réalise ce que j'ai pu faire et ne pas faire de ma vie, et ca me fout une gifle comme jamais... Je t'aime Papa, je t'aime fort, je te souhaite un joyeux anniversaire du plus profond de mon coeur <3

[videlli63]

I had originally believed that Reg penned this melody specifically for Guy Burchett.The fact that it came to him as an awareness that mortality is an unpredictable force in every persons life only serves to make it an even more heart felt tribute. It would have been much easier to lament such a fact in hindsight. We are all witness here to a truly human and genuine expression

[Squishfie]

this song has words?!?! since when?

beautiful song :)

[VauxhallKeith]

@Squishfie near the end of the song on the record and cd releases. I could never make out the words years ago. It's a great song :)

[francquie]

@Squishfie its always had these words....listen to any version and you can hear them....its on the fox album originally.....

[futurepilot95]

there are absolutely no words for this...

it's just incredibly beautiful, and not just the song but also that elton had such a big heart that he called this song after a bicycle messenger from his company, who was overridden by a car. You can feel hear the sadness in this song.

Eleven people hated this song.I say that if you hate this, then you haven't listned it properly, or you can just not bring up the respect for such a great hero. I'm from holland, and I say everybody should think like him

[SquallLion59]

awesome

[TheImmortalHippy]

10 idiots hate this!! :-( HOw could anyone hate this?

[dameunusuario]

@TheImmortalHippy 12 idiots

[Meadoway40]

@TheImmortalHippy Song for Guy was a tribute to a despatch rider who was killed while delivering a parcel to Elton. Nothing to do with Guy the gorilla you fuckwits.

[TheImmortalHippy]

@Meadoway40 ok, ok Geez.

[zedamasio]

@TheImmortalHippy I adore it but they are free to like whatever they want to...

[TheImmortalHippy]

@zedamasio Yeah, I know but they shouldn't ruin it for everyone else.

[Trabant80]

@TheImmortalHippy They are homophobic for sure... It has nothing to do with music.

[Hummel901546156]

Masterpiece

[dim499]

hahaha, thumbs up if you think thumbs down for this sog is ludicrous.

[Mr999Zombie]

wish i could play the piano half as good as this!

[hefnicity]

@Mr999Zombie I wish I could play the piano twice as good as this!

[redrockrabbit]

Elton- I have always loved this song. One of the most beautiful I have ever heard. When I watched this and you started to sing- it brought tears to my eyes- it was so beautiful. I have never heard the words to this before. Thank you Elton for your contribution to our world. You are deeply loved!

[hefnicity]

@redrockrabbit Hes not gonna read that you know.

[lovedwallflower]

i cant wait to him live in concert! the man is a living genius <3

[tcpbox]

this music make me remember a good times, when i was young, and the only thing that can take care was my studies.

At that time I had a girl Rita that I never more see.This is th trill of my life.A good good song

[martissr1234]

Wow He did this beautiful song before I born O_O I love that wonderful melody

10 stars

[WolfieTed]

Guy was gorrilla if I remember correctly. Elton could write a song about flower arranging and make it one of the best songs ever!

Talent oozes from him!

[mekeskimfe]

I was old 12...

[downhomesunset]

This song was in Oh Heavenly Dog with Benji and Chevy Chase

[SuddenSparkles]

I always picture a child on a bicycle when I hear this song. It is summertime. It isn't too hot but the breeze created by the activity and the freedom from the demands of parents and schoolteachers causes the child to bicycle faster and faster down a hillside until the child realizes that unless s/he slows down the damages could be extensive. The child pulls up by the side of a country lane and listens to the wind rustling the trees and pays attention to his/her breathing. Life. Air. Breath.

[spikypete]

You can this is probably one of the songs where Elton wrote his own lyrics...

[ssesf]

I first heard this tune in a TV program where it was being used as background music. It must have been about thirty years ago.

[kiwijj27]

This was played at a workmates funeral 30yrs ago, he died in a car accident,only 28

left a wife & 2 young boys real sad.

When it was played it was so moving & each time i've heard it over the yrs it takes me back to that moment.Elton John is truly a great artist.

[Arschratte2]

Shouldn't the title of the song be "Song for gay" ;) ?

[sirtom23]

@Arschratte2 ah thats immature

[tomjames2006]

yes rasta.

[pinkandjefflynne]

I think this song was in memory of a motorcycle messenger who worked at the record building Elton was at...poor bastard got killed in an accident

[cahoot06]

@pinkandjefflynne hi you are correct writen for a messanger who was sadly killed

[aniolmar]

Ten człowiek jaki jest,taki jest.

Ale wystarczy żeby raz na rok cokolwiek napisał.

Piękne.

Jak zawsze.

[limosince2007]

such as simple song. but it works so well

[69ove69]

Hieno-hyvä Elton!

[schlampenbengel]

a class of its own

[PinioZ0726]

Great piano. Great melody. I love this song.

[MsJonas222]

no niezłe ^^

[oldschoolfan92]

great...

[288Elizabeth]

I always love when Elton looks directly into the camera during his performances. His eyes can be so powerful and full of emotion. It draws us closer to him as an audience:)

[Mtthokozani]

this is the greatest video of all times

[paulshawi]

Selten so ein geiles Musikstück gehört. Bekomme jedes mal eine Gänsehaut

[Futura2500]

Love this song - reminds me of my grandad

[daisymaisy66]

Love this!!!

[zszoranst]

great musician!

[galfredos]

a great artist !

simple melody line but real magic.

[bartciao]

He looks sad...

[trisix99]

he is... he has to get rammed in the ass to make love. lmfao