I'm Still Standing

Last updated

"I'm Still Standing"
Elton John StillStanding.jpg
Single by Elton John
from the album Too Low for Zero
B-side
  • "Love So Cold" (US)
  • "Earn While You Learn" (UK)
ReleasedApril 1983 (US)
22 July 1983 (UK) [1]
RecordedSeptember–December 1982
Genre Synth-pop [2]
Length3:02
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Chris Thomas
Elton John singles chronology
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
(1983)		"I'm Still Standing"
(1983)		"Kiss the Bride"
(1983)
Music video
"I'm Still Standing" on YouTube

"I'm Still Standing" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, from John's 1983 studio album Too Low for Zero . [3] It was the lead single from the album in North America, but released as the second single in the UK.

Contents

Helped by a video promoting the song on MTV, "I'm Still Standing" became a big hit for John on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at No. 1 in Canada [4] and Switzerland, [5] No. 4 in the UK [6] and No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [7]

Background

Although "I'm Still Standing" is often seen as a statement of John's resilience, Taupin wrote the lyrics with a specific person in mind.

It's perhaps one more example of the original idea being interpreted by everyone into something quite different. I think people see it as an anthem based on Elton's strong sense of survival in the face of adversity. Which, believe me, is perfectly fine by me. In fact, it's probably infinitely more interesting, perhaps, than what it was initially written about. Which, if my memory serves me correctly, it was a sort of kiss off to an old girlfriend. You know the sort of thing, 'Don't you worry about me, I'll be perfectly fine.' Unlike George Jones' 'She Thinks I Still Care,' where, in fact, he really did, I really didn't." [8] [9]

Music video

The music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, was shot in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur in France. It also features the colours of the flag of France in graphics. Arlene Phillips, who choreographed the routines performed on location in the video, said her work is one of the proudest moments in her entire career (via the Channel 5 pop-documentary, Britain's Favourite 80s Songs, on 25 December 2021).

Bruno Tonioli, later a judge on hit shows Strictly Come Dancing for BBC (UK), Dancing with the Stars for ABC (US) and Britain's Got Talent for ITV (UK), appears as one of the dancers in the video.

Initially, John was supposed to take part in the choreography for the music video, but that plan was later scrapped as he recalls in his autobiography:

Visibly stunned by my demonstration of the moves I’d honed on the dance floors of Crisco Disco and Studio 54, the choreographer Arlene Phillips went pale and suddenly scaled down my involvement in that side of things, until all I really had to do was click my fingers and walk along the seafront in time to the music. [10]

It was due to be shot over the course of two days, but a camera full of the first day's film was ruined when Mulcahy accidentally fell into the sea with it. Therefore, it had to be filmed again on another day. During the shoot for the video, John came across Duran Duran. He complained he was exhausted at having been up since four o'clock in the morning. Simon Le Bon decided John should have a martini. "So I did," John later recalled, "I had six." [11]

In his book, Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran, Andy Taylor writes of the experience:

There were lots of celebrities around in Cannes and one day we discovered that Elton John was in town, filming the video for his song "I'm Still Standing". This was before Elton became teetotal, so he was still a steaming party animal. We went up to see him at his hotel and spent the afternoon getting blasted on martinis. We decided it would be a laugh to get him drunk and we were slinging the drinks down him. "Ooh, you are lovely boys," he screeched, loving every minute of it. We got him so drunk that eventually he went upstairs and threw a wobbler in his suite. It caused all sorts of chaos, but it was a great party. [12]

The next morning, John awoke with a hangover and wandered into his personal assistant's room – which was "leveled" – and asked him "What happened?" His assistant laughed: "You happened!" [11]

In 2019, the original 16mm film negatives were re-scanned and the computer graphics were recreated, forming a newer remastered version of the promotional video. [13] This version of the video serves as the ending to the 2019 biopic Rocketman , with Taron Egerton (portraying John) rotoscoped in to recreate memorable scenes from the original music video. It was also re-released standalone on John's YouTube channel.

Track listing

  1. "I'm Still Standing" – 3:00
  2. "Love So Cold" – 5:08
  1. "I'm Still Standing" – 3:00
  2. "Earn While You Learn" – 6:42
  1. "I'm Still Standing" (extended version) – 3:45
  2. "Earn While You Learn" – 6:42

Personnel

Chart performance

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [37] 2× Platinum140,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [38] Platinum90,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [39] Gold250,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [40]
sales since 2009 		Platinum100,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [41] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [42]
Physical 		Silver250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [43]
Digital 		3× Platinum1,800,000‡
United States (RIAA) [44] Gold500,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

Welsh actor Taron Egerton has recorded this song two times in separate occasions. The first time was for the 2016 animated feature Sing as teenage gorilla Johnny; the second was for the 2019 biopic Rocketman where he played the titular role of Elton John himself. [45]

"I'm Still Standing" was also covered by the cast of the television series Glee during the third season. [46] [47]

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References

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  3. ↑ Cassata, Mary Anne (2002). The Elton John Scrapbook. Citadel Press. p. 108. ISBN   978-0-8065-2322-4..
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  7. ↑ "Elton John – Chart History". Billboard Hot 100 . Retrieved 23 June 2016.
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  9. ↑ "The Story of... 'I'm Still Standing' by Elton John". Smooth.
  10. ↑ John, Elton (15 October 2019). Me: Elton John Official Autobiography. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN   978-1-250-14761-5.
  11. 1 2 "Anecdotage.Com – Thousands of true funny stories about famous people. Anecdotes from Gates to Yeats". Archived from the original on 28 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ↑ Taylor, Andy (30 December 2010). Wild Boy: My Life with Duran Duran. Orion. ISBN   9781409111160.
  13. ↑ "'I'm Still Standing' music video unveiled in digitally restored 4K".
  14. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
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  37. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  38. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Elton John – I'm Still Standing". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  39. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Elton John; 'I'm Still Standing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  40. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Elton John – I'm Still Standing" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  41. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Elton John – I'm Still Standing". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 20 March 2024.
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  43. ↑ "British single certifications – Elton John – I'm Still Standing". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  44. ↑ "American single certifications – Elton John – I'm Still Standing". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  45. ↑ "How Taron Egerton's Rocketman role of a lifetime became a lifelong gig". Entertainment Weekly. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  46. ↑ "Glee: The Music - The Complete Season Three". iTunes. Glee Cast. 28 August 2012.
  47. ↑ "I'm Still Standing (Full Performance)". YouTube. MusicOfGlee.
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