Sacrifice

This song is about how hard it is to stay faithful and devoted in a marriage, challenging the worn-down mantra that a successful union requires "sacrifice." Elton sings that it's no sacrifice at all, it's just "two hearts living in two separate worlds."

Elton's lyricist Bernie Taupin explained in Music Connection magazine before the song was released: "It's a simple lyric, but it's an intelligent adult lyric. It's basically about the rigors of adult love, and it's a million miles away from 'Your Song.' Elton came up with a brilliant melody, and his performance on it gives it a lot of integrity and meaning. It's not a surface song, and I think you'll probably see that one in the coming months becoming a big, big hit."

This was released as a single in 1989, but stalled at #55 in the UK. Six months later it was revived in the UK by DJ Steve Wright, who began replaying it on his BBC Radio One afternoon show. He reported the great listener reaction to Rocket Records, which reissued it as a double A-side along with his previous release "Healing Hands," which had also flopped in the UK. By mid-summer 1990, the single went to #1 in the UK.