The take-up reel was looking like it only had a few feet left on it and Elton wasn't showing any signs of stopping," he said. Song for Guy was a hit for Elton John in 1978. This largely instrumental song was one of the few successful songs written without Bernie Taupin.

As well as Clive Franks on bass and Ray Cooper on wind chimes and shakers, it features Elton on all the other instruments – piano, Mellotron, Polymoog, ARP String Ensemble and those very few vocals. As I was writing this song one Sunday, I imagined myself floating into space and looking down at my own body. I was imagining myself dying. Morbidly obsessed with these thoughts, I wrote this song about death. The next day I was told that Guy [Burchett], our 17-year-old messenger boy, had been tragically killed on his motorcycle the day before. Guy died on the day I wrote this song." [1] He added: "It was like nothing I'd done before, and my American record label refused to release it as a single. I was furious But it became a colossal hit in Europe.Peter from Vancouver, BcI always thought the words were “Life....is a temporary thing” I guess because they made so much sense considering the subject matter. Even if the vinyl cover says differently, it is one of many songs by John that I can listen to repeatedly and never tire. Years later when I met Gianni Versace told me it was his favourite song of mine. He kept saying how wonderfully brave he thought it was. Just as it looked like I was dead he played an outro and the last chord. As the last chord died away the tape ran out. Clive and I nearly died anyway from relief."

The song opens with an octaved solo piano, which is then accompanied by a looped Roland CR-78 drum machine, [2] with occasional shaker and wind chimes alternating; other keyboards are often layered in shortly after, with a bass guitar mainly accompanying this. It is instrumental until the end, in which the words "Life – isn't everything (3x)" are repeated over the primary melody. Elton continued writing, working with lyricist Gary Osborne instead working on what became Elton’s 12th album A Single Man. Who was Guy? It stands as one of the few songs written by Elton John alone and the only instrumental piece of music made by himself to be released as a lead single. After this song, his other instrumental songs were only released as B-sides notably "Choc Ice Goes Mental" (A-sides: " I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" & " Kiss the Bride") and "The Man Who Never Died" (A-sides: " Nikita" & " The Last Song"). Kevin from IrelandAlways thought it would be great if Elton would re-record it using the lyrics "Life.... Isn't ever in vain"David C from Fareham, Hampshire, Uk.At the tender age of just achieved 68!, Song for Guy has been in my head for the last week, I have not played the piano for 21 years, yet I must now go and buy a piano and learn to play this wonderful music. Beyond that I was having similar thoughts to what I think Elton was having at the time, making it a strange haunting connection.... I had always missed the words at the end... but so relevant too me! Thankyou for this wonderful "Song for Guy"