A lyric sheet only travels as far as the music carrying it. The driving power of the track relies on John’s aggressive keyboard attack. Written in the key of B-flat major, the piano chords lean heavily into high-energy boogie-woogie syncopation blended with contemporary new-wave production.
Davey Johnstone layered ringing electric guitar chords over John’s acoustic grand piano, while producer Chris Thomas introduced crisp Roland synthesizer lines that anchored the song squarely in 1983 without dating it as novelty synth-pop. Murray’s bass work provides a walking, melodic undercurrent that drives the chorus forward, preventing the song from feeling repetitive despite its relentless four-on-the-floor pulse.
Vocal delivery elevates the composition. John uses a punchy, clipped cadence on the verses, accentuating the plosive consonants in Taupin’s text. When he reaches the chorus, his register opens up into a full, resonant belt backed by soaring multi-tracked vocal harmonies arranged by Johnstone. That musical ascent mirrors the thematic ascent of the text: moving from dark, rhythmic tension into broad, sunny triumph.
