#rocketman

Jamie Bell on how elton john's songs affected his life (thought it was interesting)

Jamie Bell

Former child actor; veteran screen presence; cheerful survivor of both ‘Fantastic Four’ and ‘Nymphomaniac.’

“I'm Still Standing” (1983)

When I was 14 years old, Elton John came to the premiere of Billy Elliot, and he loved it. I met him, and he was weeping. I had never met anyone that famous. It felt very surreal. I think the movie, the relationship with the father, was for him reminiscent of his own relationship with his father. But weirdly, while we were rehearsing that movie, there was a certain routine in the movie where we considered using “I'm Still Standing.” So I danced to that repeatedly for weeks, rehearsing this song. We didn't end up using it in the end, but I remember that's the first time I'd heard it. And when I met him, I knew, like, “Oh shit, this is a really, really famous person.” I was very overwhelmed. None of it made any sense. Elton John's, like, crying and shaking my hand and wanted to hug because he's literally so moved.

“Rocket Man” (1972)

I have a 5-year-old son. They do these rockabye versions, lullaby versions of pop bands or rock bands. David Bowie has one. Led Zeppelin has one. Radiohead have one. I don't put my kid to bed to Radiohead. Even in lullaby version, it's still kind of fucked-up. However, Elton's music—and I don't want this to be misconstrued; it's certainly not music to fall asleep to—but there's just something so eloquent about his melodic structure that plays so nicely as a lullaby. So my son, since he was 2, has been falling asleep to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Your Song” and “Rocket Man.” And when I was prepping for the movie, I was hearing it all the time, and he'd go like, “Oh, that's my lullaby.”

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