Bernie Taupin, the peerless lyricist who propelled Sir Elton John to more than 300 million record sales, has reflected on his curious brand of obscurity as he releases a new solo album.

Speaking candidly in an extensive interview, the veteran songwriter described himself as the ultimate beneficiary of asymmetrical celebrity, revelling in the quiet freedom that eludes his flamboyant creative partner. Despite co-writing some of the most enduring anthems in modern music, Taupin remains virtually unrecognised in public until a routine financial transaction betrays his identity.

The perks of the 'credit card guy'

Taupin dubbed himself “the credit card guy”, explaining that his face rarely registers with the public until plastic is handed over at the till.

“I go somewhere, like a shop or a restaurant, and it’s fine. I can be me, no one notices,” Taupin told Guardian Australia Culture. “Then I pay with my credit card and they see the name and go ... ‘You’re that guy!’”

For the songwriter, escaping the suffocating scrutiny that has trailed John across six decades is an unalloyed blessing.

“I’m the luckiest man in the world in regards to that,” he said. “I absolutely, positively, 100% love my anonymity, the fact I can walk down the street.”

An awkward reunion with rock royalty

That relative visual obscurity extends even to the contemporaries with whom he once conquered global charts. Taupin recounted a recent encounter at the Americanafest in Nashville, where he went to see former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant perform.

Despite moving in identical circles during the hedonistic peak of 1970s arena rock, Taupin found himself having to break the ice after years apart.

“I hadn’t seen him in years and he said he wanted to meet up,” Taupin recalled. “So I walked towards him and there’s that look: ‘Oh God, who the hell’s this?’ ‘Hey, Robert, it’s Bernie!’ ‘Oh my gosh!’” The pair promptly rekindled their friendship over dinner the following evening.

From Hollywood hellraising to bucking bulls

The English-born lyricist’s current public musings coincide with the release of a wistfully grouchy solo album, showcasing a voice shaped by decades of living strictly on his own terms. Over the years, Taupin’s passions have taken him far from recording studios, extending into serious equestrian pursuits and competing in full-blown American rodeos, alongside breeding a prize-winning bucking bull.

Yet his colourful history remains bound to the excess of the Sunset Strip. Guardian Australia Culture reported that Taupin traversed his wilder years running with the Hollywood Vampires—the notorious Los Angeles drinking fraternity—alongside the physical rigours of his subsequent ranching life.

An enduring artistic legacy

While John was the showman seated at the grand piano in platform boots and sequins, Taupin was never an invisible presence. He featured on the sleeve artwork of several landmark releases, notably sporting fringed leather chaps and an unbuttoned shirt on the cover of 1975’s Rock of the Westies.

Now embracing his senior years with characteristically dry humour, the lyricist is unbothered by commercial expectations or diplomatic niceties. “At my age, I can rant!” he declared, content to let his words speak for themselves while he slips quietly through the crowd.