Elton John album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" debuted at number one in the U.S., the first album ever to do so, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. Elton John revealed his previously ambiguous personality on the album, with Taupin's lyrics describing their early days as struggling songwriters and musicians in London. The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that is otherwise rare in his music. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was the hit single from this album and captured an early turning point in John's life. The album's
Someone Saved My Life Tonight metaphor of a creature flying free towards the sky to signify escape from marriage, with the creature in this case being a butterfly. Some radio stations altered the song or refused to play it due to the use of the phrase "Damn it" in the second verse. In the liner notes to the Deluxe Edition of "Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy," writer Paul Gambaccini related a recollection from producer Gus Dudgeon. During the recording of the song's lead vocal, Dudgeon said he was pushing John for more in terms of his delivery of the vocal, not paying attention