He hadn't had a hit for several years and, after the frantic pace that he'd released records during the 70s, a lot of people were wondering if he hadn't just burnt out completely. Elton himself was wondering what he had to do to generate some chart action and decided to go back to basics. He reunited his orginal band and began writing with Bernie Taupin again. The result was the 1983 album "Too Low For Zero". The first single "I'm Still Standing" was a proclamation to the world that it was too early to write him off, and indeed the albums's second single "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" returned Elton John to the top of the charts and brought him into the brave new world of the music business via a hit video on MTV.

Personally this song (which features Stevie Wonder on harmonica) is one of my all time favorite Elton John songs.