But Not For Me by Elton John is a heartrending ballad focusing on unrequited love and emotional longing. The song expresses a sense of melancholy as the narrator reflects on the emotional pain of loving someone who does not reciprocate those feelings. The key themes include heartache, loneliness, and the bittersweet nature of love that remains one-sided. Particularly poignant moments in the song include lines that explore the depths of sorrow and the narrator's realization that happiness and love are meant for others, but not for him.