The Lyric Bernie Taupin Wrote for an Elton John Song About Romance at the Berlin Wall

Songwriters can’t help but be influenced by what’s going on in the world around them. They can choose to tackle topical material head on, making a statement one way or the other about how they feel. Or they can choose to use that knowledge as context for the story they truly want to tell. Lyricist Bernie Taupin chose the latter route for the Elton John song “Nikita,” which was a Top-20 hit single for John in 1985. Set against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall, the song managed to work as a tale about star-crossed love, something that’s relatable no matter what the circumstances of history might have been.