Taupin would write a batch of lyrics in under an hour and give it to John, who would write music for them in half an hour, disposing of the lyrics if he couldn't come up with anything quickly.
Elton John in Bernie Taupin sta se leta 1968 pridružila skupini tekstopiscev založbe DJM Records Dicka Jamesa in dve leti pisala gradivo za najrazličnejše glasbenike, kot sta Roger Cook in Lulu.