Elton John: Releases The Diving Board Track Listing, Reveals He Was A Victim Of Bullying

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Elton John has unveiled the track listing for his next album, The Diving Board, due for release in the fall.

When speaking about the album, lyricist Bernie Taupin says, “It’s intimate and cohesive, just really good songs without a lot of fuss.” Produced by T-Bone Burnett (who also produced The Hunger Games soundtrack), The Diving Board was recorded over 10 days in January.

The Diving Board track list:

“Oscar Wilde Gets Out”
“A Town Called Jubilee”
“Can’t Stay Alone Tonight”
“My Quicksand”
“Candlelit Bedroom”
“The Ballad of Blind Tom”
“The New Fever Waltz”
“5th Avenue”
“Mexican Vacation (Kids in the Candlelight)”
“The Diving Board”

[photogallerylink id=54905 align=right]In an interview with E!, Elton John says he was once a victim of bullying. He recalled, “It was about control and them being able to keep me under their thumb. And I was the perfect candidate for it. Even though I was famous and a big deal, it doesn’t matter, it’s who you are underneath, and I was always kind of shy and intimidated.”

He adds that three different people tormented the rock icon, but he won’t name names: “One was violent and the other two were mentally violent… They were important people in my career and in my personal life.”

Elton fears his son Zachary may face bullying once he enters school because of his same-sex parents. He and his partner David Furnish “will sit down with him… and if anyone says something mean to you, come and tell us. And we’ll also try and help it — stand up for yourself!”

Bully, the movie, opens in select theatres today. Bully follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children.

As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers; Bully examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.