Elton John’s 1975 hit “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” was inspired by a personal turning point: after drinking with Long John Baldry and lyricist Bernie Taupin, he decided not to go through with an unhappy planned marriage. The song matters as an unusually direct account of John’s early life and his decision to preserve his freedom, with Baldry portrayed as the person who helped him change course.

Released on Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy, the song reached the UK and US Top 5 despite running for six minutes and 45 seconds, far longer than a conventional radio single. John and Taupin wrote it, and John later called it among their best collaborations; he also described the album as a largely non-commercial, autobiographical story about confronting failure.