It's Me That You Need
"It's Me That You Need" | ||||
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Single by Elton John | ||||
B-side | "Just Like Strange Rain" | |||
Released | 16 May 1969 | |||
Recorded | 10 April 1969 Olympic Studios | |||
Genre |
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Length | 4:01 | |||
Label | DJM Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Brown | |||
Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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"It's Me That You Need" is a song by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin.
Release and performances
It was his third single, released almost four months after "Lady Samantha". It has a light pop sense and was penned by critics to be a radio hit. However, it actually performed worse than his previous two singles and also failed to chart in the U.S. and the UK.
The song did become a hit in Japan two years later, peaking at the No. 13 on the country's Oricon sales chart, and No. 2 on the international chart. It had been the most commercially successful song for Elton in that country, until the double A-side single "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" topped the chart in October 1997.
John played a solo version live as the first song on his 1971 tour of Japan. It was heavily applauded, as it was his first single to be released there. Since then, it has not been played anywhere.
Composition
Musical structure
It opens with a string section accompanied by a Hohner Pianet electric piano. When the song begins, a somewhat distorted electric guitar plays with strings. Horns are also featured. These two features would be standard in later releases by John. The song ends with John playing solo for the last fifteen seconds.
Lyrical meaning
It is a plain love song. However, the words are a bit advanced and more cryptic for other love songs at the time of its release. It tells a story about a man who is convinced he is the right one for the woman he is adoring. The last verse could also indicate that it is a story of an ex-girlfriend;
"Watching, watching the swallows fly
It all means the same
Just like them
You can fly home again
But don't, no don't forget yesterday
Pride is an ugly word girl
And you still know my name"
Covers
As with many British songs at the time, it was covered elsewhere in Europe.
In Italy, it was covered by Maurizio Vandelli, who had translated the song into Italian. It was called "Era Lei" (literally meaning "That Was Her") and the lyrical meaning had been slightly altered. This version charted in Italy and became a big hit.
Personnel
- Elton John – Hohner Pianet electric piano, vocals
- Caleb Quaye – guitar
- Clive Franks – bass
- Roger Pope – drums
- Cy Payne – orchestral arranger, conductor
Chart history
Chart (1971) | Peak position | Sales |
---|---|---|
Japanese Oricon International Singles Chart | 2 | 144,000+ |
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart | 13 |
External links
- Discogs link
- v
- t
- e
- "I've Been Loving You" (1968)
- "Skyline Pigeon" (1968)
- "Lady Samantha" (1969)
- "It's Me That You Need" (1969)
- "Border Song" (1970)
- "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970)
- "From Denver to L.A." (1970)
- "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970)
- "Your Song" (1970)
- "Come Down in Time" (1970)
- "Friends" (1971)
- "Levon" (1971)
- "Indian Sunset" (1971)
- "Tiny Dancer" (1972)
- "Rocket Man" (1972)
- "Honky Cat" (1972)
- "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" (1972)
- "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972)
- "Crocodile Rock" (1972)
- "Elderberry Wine" (1972)
- "Daniel" (1972)
- "Have Mercy on the Criminal" (1972)
- "Teacher I Need You" (1973)
- "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (1973)
- "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973)
- "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973)
- "Step into Christmas" (1973)
- "Candle in the Wind" (1974)
- "Bennie and the Jets" (1974)
- "Harmony" (1974)
- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974)
- "The Bitch Is Back" (1974)
- "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974)
- "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975)
- "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975)
- "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975)
- "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" (1975)
- "Island Girl" (1975)
- "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976)
- "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976)
- "Pinball Wizard" (1976)
- "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976)
- "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976)
- "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977)
- "Crazy Water" (1977)
- "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977)
- "Ego" (1978)
- "Part-Time Love" (1978)
- "Song for Guy" (1978)
- "Are You Ready for Love" (1979)
- "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979)
- "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)
- "Little Jeannie" (1980)
- "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980)
- "Dear God" (1980)
- "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981)
- "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1981)
- "Blue Eyes" (1982)
- "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982)
- "Ball and Chain" (1982)
- "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982)
- "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983)
- "I'm Still Standing" (1983)
- "Kiss the Bride" (1983)
- "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984)
- "Passengers" (1984)
- "Nikita" (1985)
- "That's What Friends Are For" (1985)
- "Wrap Her Up" (1985)
- "Heartache All Over the World" (1986)
- "Slow Rivers" (1986)
- "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988)
- "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" (1988)
- "Town of Plenty" (1988)
- "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988)
- "Healing Hands" (1989)
- "Sacrifice" (1989)
- "Club at the End of the Street" (1990)
- "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990)
- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991)
- "The One" (1992)
- "Runaway Train" (1992)
- "The Last Song" (1992)
- "Simple Life" (1993)
- "True Love" (1993)
- "Shakey Ground" (1994)
- "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994)
- "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994)
- "Circle of Life" (1994)
- "Believe" (1995)
- "Made in England" (1995)
- "When the Money's Gone" (1995)
- "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996)
- "Live Like Horses" (1996)
- "The Madness of King Scar" (1997)
- "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997)
- "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997)
- "Written in the Stars" (1999)
- "Someday Out of the Blue" (2000)
- "I Want Love" (2001)
- "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002)
- "Original Sin" (2002)
- "Are You Ready for Love" (2003)
- "Ghetto Gospel" (2005)
- "Electricity" (2005)
- "The Bridge" (2006)
- "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008)
- "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)
- "All of the Lights" (2010)
- "Good Morning to the Night" (2012)
- "Sad" (2012)
- "Looking Up" (2015)
- "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" (2019)
- "Ordinary Man" (2020)
- "Sine from Above" (2020)
- "The Pink Phantom" (2020)
- "It's a Sin" (2021)
- "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)" (2021)
- "Merry Christmas" (2021)
- "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" (2021)
- "Hold Me Closer" (2022)
- Category:Elton John