The Meaning Behind “Talk To You” by Sam Fender and Elton John, and How Fender’s Past Is Pushing Him Forward
Elton John makes a guest appearance on Sam Fender’s latest single, “Talk To You”. The song was recorded during sessions for Fender’s third release, People Watching, though the 31-year-old singer regrets not putting it on the album.
“Talk To You” will appear on the deluxe edition of People Watching, which is due out on December 5.
About “Talk To You”
In the opening verse, Fender sings about regret as he reflects on the end of a long relationship. In the second verse, he admits he cheated, though he refuses to use his troubled past as an “excuse for my mess.”
When my face is all changed from the cruelty of age
I’ll still miss you.
In a dream, you forgave me and I almost did it myself,
Till I woke back up.
Later in the song, Fender has absorbed lessons from his mistakes, as he looks forward to meeting someone as kind as his ex. Still, the guilt remains crushing, knowing how much history he squandered between the two.
I wanna hurt with you
Hurt with somebody who understands
Have the strength to truly like myself
And have the love to take someone’s hand.
‘Rocket Hour’
Appearing on John’s Apple Music podcast, Rocket Hour, Fender explained how he thought to invite John to play piano on the track.
Fender said the song’s piano riff required someone more accomplished than himself to perform it. So Fender asked John, who was eager to join the session.
“It was so much fun to come and play on one of your songs, because we’ve been friends for a long, long time,” John said.
The Next Album
With so many songs leftover from the sessions, Fender told John he’s eager to begin the next record. A creative stockpile John was familiar with. “There’s nothing wrong with going straight in and doing another record. That’s what we used to do all the time,” John said. “When one record was finished, the other one was coming out. That’s the way to do it. If you’ve got a lot of songs, just get them down.”
“Talk To You”, like many tracks on People Watching, finds Fender reflecting on his life. He sketches characters out of the people he has encountered, observing the person he has become while looking ahead to the next chapter.
The album was co-produced by Fender, The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel, Markus Dravs, Dean Thompson, and Joe Atkinson. You can hear traces of Granduciel’s heartland rock, as well as hints of post-Britpop and rock.
The older genres that Fender reimagines sound fresh in his voice. As in “Talk To You”, where he’s using the lessons of the past to move forward.
Photo by Matthew Baker/Getty Images
