Why does Elton John think “living in Australia” changed his vocals?

Elton John has revealed that a period spent living in Australia proved a turning point for his voice, though not for the reasons one might expect. He noticed his singing had deteriorated and his voice had become deeper, only to be told bluntly by a doctor that heavy cannabis use was the cause, prompting a moment of reckoning during one of the most hedonistic phases of his life.

The polyps that had formed on his vocal cords led him to undergo surgery in Australia, which unexpectedly deepened and strengthened his voice rather than damaging it. John has said the operation left him with more resonance and power, remarking that he went from being "a piano player who sang" to "a singer who plays piano." The episode marked a wider turning point, coinciding with him pulling back from the substance-fuelled lifestyle that had defined that period, and reshaping how songs such as 'I'm Still Standing' resonate with his own story.