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I'm Still Standing
- HEATHER BARNES
- Jan 29
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 16
"I'm Still Standing" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, from John's 1983 studio album Too Low for Zero. It was the lead single from the album in North America, but released as the second single in the UK.
Helped by a video promoting the song on MTV, "I'm Still Standing" became a big hit for John on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at No. 1 in Canada and Switzerland, No. 4 in the UK and No. 12 in the US. Although "I'm Still Standing" is often seen as a statement of John's resilience, Taupin wrote the lyrics with a specific person in mind.
"It's perhaps one more example of the original idea being interpreted by everyone into something quite different. I think people see it as an anthem based on Elton's strong sense of survival in the face of adversity. Which, believe me, is perfectly fine by me. In fact, it's probably infinitely more interesting, perhaps, than what it was initially written about. Which, if my memory serves me correctly, it was a sort of kiss off to an old girlfriend. You know the sort of thing, 'Don't you worry about me, I'll be perfectly fine.' Unlike George Jones' 'She Thinks I Still Care,' where, in fact, he really did, I really didn't."
Music video
The music video was shot in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur in France. It also features the colours of the flag of France in graphics. Arlene Phillips, who choreographed the routines performed on location in the video, said her work is one of the proudest moments in her entire career.
Bruno Tonioli, later a judge on hit shows Strictly Come Dancing for BBC (UK), Dancing with the Stars for ABC (US) and Britain's Got Talent for ITV (UK), appears as one of the dancers in the video.
Initially, John was supposed to take part in the choreography for the music video, but that plan was later scrapped as he recalls in his autobiography:
"Visibly stunned by my demonstration of the moves I’d honed on the dance floors of Crisco Disco and Studio 54, the choreographer Arlene Phillips went pale and suddenly scaled down my involvement in that side of things, until all I really had to do was click my fingers and walk along the seafront in time to the music."
Youtube link;
Here is the backing track if you'd like to sing along with it;
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