the titular song, for good reason. it comes squarely in the middle of elton’s first rock bottom as he quite literally sinks to the bottom of his pool, willing himself to succumb to the cold water. instead of the black abyss he probably expected mid-air, he sees a younger version of himself doused in slices of sunlight. he’s sitting at a piano with a bubble around his head, half-scuba and half-astronaut. it dares to suggest that while his innocence and joy have been drowned by trauma and fame and substances, they are safe deep in his subconscious mind. unalterable. “I miss the earth so much,” elton utters, now belly-up to the ever-distant sky. “i miss my life”. at this moment, he is rescued, slapped onto a gurney, and hoisted into the air by the silhouetted arms of doctors. and then his face changes. he’s in his iconic dodgers uniform, sequined enough to reflect the very sun he just nearly surrendered to. one of his most famous performances of all time came days after he attempted suicide. in a small way, in my small world, i can relate. my first lead role was danced on a whimpering stomach. i signed autographs for wide-eyed little girls with wrists that had to be caked with makeup. the stage is a curious place. it’s a different reality entirely, especially when you’re desperate to escape the one you’re living in otherwise. if you stretch your lips wide enough and crinkle your eyes tight enough, it’s hard to tell whether you’re laughing or crying.
romaincrisis
turnnoffyourmind
yousharknotpass
izzy806
