Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Sometimes the best relationships are the most complicated.

"I can't light no more of your darkness All my pictures seem to fade to black and white I'm growing tired and time stands still before me Frozen here on the ladder of my life" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I can't make you happy, you must deal with your own pain and find a way out of it. Our love has lost it's vibrant colors we once had...your pain is too taxing on me and our love cannot continue to grow, therefore I'm stuck in this nowhere place and can't go forward and refuse to go back. I don't want to give you up, so where am I suppose to go now? Great metaphor. Can you imagine yourself stuck on a ladder at 45 feet in the center and be forced to remain there? Elton is a genius for using this as a metaphor because he puts you on that ladder and makes you feel what it would be like. It's not only a terribly lonely place, but also frightening--just as love lost.

"Too late to save myself from falling I took a chance and changed your way of life But you misread my meaning when I met you Closed the door and left me blinded by the light" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I'm already there and no going back from the pain I feel from losing you--falling off the ladder. I changed you for being in your life as you have changed me. We all get something out of it and relationships make us changed, whether it's good or bad, they make us evolve because we always take something away and leave something behind with that person. Misread meanings --that's tricky because it's individual, but sometimes we all will hold back when we are in an exciting relationship and may not share our true intentions for whatever the reason. You may pretend to be someone you are not to hold onto that person, then if you fall in love, you realize you should have just been yourself and avoided the entire situation. But not knowing how the other person may feel--your still lost. Kicked out the door and reality is the light--hits you in the face like a headlights on a speeding bus. You don't expect it and feel as though you've been run over anyway.

"Don't let the sun go down on me Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free But losing everything is like the sun going down on me" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Letting the sun go down on me is putting me in darkness, an empty void--black hole. Searching onesself, but seeing someone else--self deception--someone you really don't want to be--or rather be. Fragment of your life to wander free--I think this is one of the most beautiful lines because it is telling the person that they are willing to let them be who they are, regardless--whatever their "dark side" is, they will accept it, but only a fragment, because too much of it would bring them too much pain since the love it deep.

"I can't find, oh the right romantic line But see me once and see the way I feel Don't discard me just because you think I mean you harm But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I'll never find the words to tell you what you mean to me to bring you back, but all you have to do is look at my face and see the love and pain. Don't mistreat me because you don't want my advice you refuse to accept. Last line is amazing and so perfect as a finale--you need to love me because I'm in pain too, from past relationships and my cuts need healing too, as yours so don't be so freakin' selfish. Love is about all of it--joy, pain, passion, rejection, anger, lust, raw wounds that can't be mended and searching for that soul mate. If you find them it's never easy, but you learn that no matter what--you will make it last throughout all of it. I think that's Elton's message...anyway, just my take on it..

flawless songwriting. words and music and singing all perfectly support one another. personally i dont like delving too much into the lyrics. especially on songs with themes like these, just listen and feel. most of the time i find myself associating passed moments encapsulated by certain songs.

this song is one of them.

I didn't know Bernie Taupin was gay, musicbabe

:grrr:

Today, as I was driving home from work, I heard this song on the radio. It immediately reminded me of my brother who died unexpectedly, tragically, and way before his time. I almost felt that he was speaking to me through this song. He can't see my darkness anymore. And, though it has been almost 3 years since his death---his pictures do almost seem black and white. When he died, it was almost as if he was "frozen on the ladder" of his life. He still had a great deal of living left to do. And there are times like today--when I feel that I wasn't there for him---that I let the sun go down on him--as he lay dying in his apartment all alone with no one there, except a few friends, who just let him die. Elton John may well have been talking about a lost lover, but for me this song---speaks of losing a little brother to death long before his time---and my powerlessness in stopping the sun from going down on him......

MoonAngel's interpretation sounds right. I had actually misheard that line about '.....a fragment of your life'. For me it evokes a breakup and rejection. I rediscovered the song lately - what a classic.

I think that the song means what is happening to you at that moment: I feel I'm saying these words to my boyfriend who is really driving me crazy "I can't light no more of your darkness" means ... I can't go on cheering you up and standing you in a bad mood and so on..."I'm growing tired and time stands still before me Frozen here on the ladder of my life" means.. I'm too young to waste my time and It seems to me this relationship is going nowhere , I'm paralysed..."I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free" I won't give you so much time and energy as I used to... "But losing everything is like the sun going down on me" but giving you everything I have means the sun going down on me... "But see me once and see the way I feel Don't discard me just because you think I mean you harm But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal " means, that I don't say this because I don't love you but because you are hurting me and I also need some attention and love , don't be so selfish :) well hope you enjoy my interpretation , bye!

Don't stone me for saying this, but the version with Elton and George Michael is without a doubt the best. Great song.

I do not believe this is a break up at all. I believe it is a man (or woman) who has been a friend. However, this person is getting older and has come to a point where they no longer want to be just friends (I can't light no more of your darkness), they are getting older (pictures fading) and they are at a point in their life where a decision has to be made to move forward and let the other person no how they feel.

HOWEVER, this person has been hurt so many times before, this is why it has taken so long to say something, and instead of saying it, he manipulates a situation and the love interest is offended "misread my meaning when I met you, closed the door and left me blinded by the light" and walks out, the blinding light is him realizing how wrong he was for pulling something stupid and not trusting her and telling her straight out.

He then begs, for her not to walk out on him and confesses that though he tries to be himself when he's with her he finds it very hard to open up(although I search myself its always someone else I see0. But if I were you "I'd allow of fragment of your life to wander free" - he is asking her to maybe just let her heart go and trust him because if he loses his friend as well as what he wanted because he took this chance, the sun would go down on him.

Finally he confesses that he does not know how to approach her "the right romantic line", but he just wants her to truly see him and understand that he has been really hurt before and it was very difficult for him to take this step (frozen here on the ladder of my life)...and he justs wants her to give him a chance, understand why he didn't feel he could come straight out and tell her and maybe take a chance in loving him....or her it is a very unisex song which is awesome.

beautiful song...

I love this song. I used to listen to this song with my mom when I was little. I didn't understand what it meant, I just liked the way it sounded. I love this song! This is one of my favorites by him!