Though recorded in order to promote his solo album, Tribes, this interview has enough material about his songwriting process and his opinions on other musicians (both as artists and as people) to make this a timeless representation of the man behind Elton John’s lyrics.

00:00 – Preconceived notions of how a song should sound, ballads vs. up-tempo pieces 00:55 – Writing lyrics as an artist, playing guitar to aid in writing 02:05 – How his writing has matured over the years, hopefully aging gracefully 04:25 – Is “Friend of the Flag” autobiographical? Patriotism and values 05:45 – Notoriety and recognition, being in the spotlight, getting mobbed in public 07:25 – The double-edged sword of his affiliation with Elton John 08:30 – Assembling a band of friends for the record, going back to his roots, being treated as a new artist 09:40 – Making another record after Tribe / possibility of playing live 10:20 – Native American theme on the record, what the word “tribe” means to him 11:35 – The Americana of Tumbleweed Connection 13:00 – Writing from the first person point of view, taking on the role of characters in his songs 14:40 – Alternative career plans / getting into songwriting, actually having a record out 16:00 – Anticipation and excitement for the record / going to the record store 17:00 – “Billy Fury” as the ideal of a 70’s power pop rock star in England 18:30 – Working with (and being friends with) Alice Cooper 19:30 – The Band may just be the greatest group of all time 20:25 – Respecting the lyrics of Elvis Costello, King of America 20:55 – Van Morrison as his solo singer idol 21:15 – Personal feelings about John Lennon 21:50 – Being buddies with Eric Clapton 22:20 – Writing the lyrics before the music