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Forty years ago today, the No. 1 album on the Billboard pop chart was Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy." 

The songs on the album describe, in chronological order, how Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin struggled to find their place in the music industry before hitting it big. 

Today's song, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," was set in 1969 and tells the story of the time Elton John considered suicide during his engagement to Linda Woodrow. His friend, Long John Baldry — "sugar bear" in the song — convinced him to break off the engagement.

Elton John - 3) Someone saved my life tonight

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Today's song, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," was set in 1969 and tells the story of the time Elton John considered suicide during his engagement to Linda Woodrow.

Today's Morning Edition music is from 40 years ago today, when the number one album on the Billboard pop chart was Elton John's "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy." The songs on the album describe in chronological order how Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin struggled to find their place in the music industry before hitting it big. This song, set in 1969, is about how Elton John considered suicide during his engagement to Linda Woodrow. His friend Long John Baldry, a-k-a "sugar bear," convinced him to break off the engagement.

Morning Edition Music: Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"

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