John was raised in the Pinner suburb of London and learned to play piano at an early age, forming the blues band Bluesology in 1962. After leaving Bluesology in 1967 to embark on a solo career, John met Taupin after they both answered an advert for songwriters. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician for artists. John released his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, and a year later formed the Elton John Band and released his first hit single, "Your Song".
John's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s when he released a streak of chart-topping albums in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château (1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies (1975). John continued his success in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and has continued to record new music since then. He has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King, Aida, and Billy Elliot the Musical. In 2018, John began his ongoing farewell tour Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which is scheduled to conclude in 2023. The 2019 biopic Rocketman dramatized his life and career.
Outside of music, John is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million since its inception, and a year later he began hosting his annual Foundation Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. John was the chairman and director of Watford F.C, from 1976 to 1987, and again from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary life president of the club. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, John developed a severe addiction problem to drugs and alcohol but has been sober since 1990. He entered into a civil partnership with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish in 2005; they married after same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014.
John has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number-ones in the UK and US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version of his 1974 single in dedication to Princess Diana, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. In 2021, John became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.
John has received numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards; including for Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legend Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and is a fellow of The Ivors Academy. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and charitable services in 1998 and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) in 2020.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John
Solo studio albums
Empty Sky (1969)
Elton John (1970)
Tumbleweed Connection (1970)
Madman Across the Water (1971)
Honky Château (1972)
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)
Blue Moves (1976)
A Single Man (1978)
Victim of Love (1979)
21 at 33 (1980)
The Fox (1981)
Jump Up! (1982)
Too Low for Zero (1983)
Breaking Hearts (1984)
Ice on Fire (1985)
Leather Jackets (1986)
Reg Strikes Back (1988)
Sleeping with the Past (1989)
The One (1992)
Made in England (1995)
The Big Picture (1997)
Songs from the West Coast (2001)
Peachtree Road (2004)
The Captain & the Kid (2006)
The Diving Board (2013)
Wonderful Crazy Night (2016)
Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021)
05. This Song Has No Title
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm an innocent young child sharp as a knife
Take me to the garretts where the artists have died
Show me the courtrooms where the judges have lied
Let me drink deeply from the water and the wine
Light colored candles in dark dreary mines
Look in the mirror and stare at myself
And each day I learn just a little bit more
I don't know why but I do know what for
If we're all going somewhere let's get there soon
Oh this song's got no title just words and a tune
Take me down alleys where the murders are done
In a vast high powered rocket to the core of the sun
Want to read books in the studies of men
Born on the breeze and die on the wind
If I was an artist who paints with his eyes
I'd study my subject and silently cry
Cry for the darkness to come down on me
For confusion to carry on turning the wheel
And each day I learn just a little bit more
I don't know why but I do know what for
If we're all going somewhere let's get there soon
Oh this song's got no title just words and a tune
The lyrics of Elton John's "This Song Has No Title" are an exploration of the wild, dark, and uncertain aspects of life. The opening line, "Tune me in to the wild side of life," sets the tone for a journey of self-discovery that is both exciting and unsettling. The singer is an "innocent young child sharp as a knife," eager to experience all that life has to offer, even the darker aspects. The garretts where artists have died and the courtrooms where judges have lied are places of intrigue and danger where one can witness the extremes of human behavior.
The singer longs to drink deeply from the water and the wine, to experience the pleasures of life, but also to confront the darkness within themselves. They want to look in the mirror and stare at themselves, to confront the existential question of who they really are. Each day, they learn a little bit more, driven by a sense of purpose, even though they may not know why. The final lyrics, "If we're all going somewhere let's get there soon, oh this song's got no title just words and a tune," express a sense of urgency and a desire to make the most of life, even if it is uncertain where that journey will take us.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the human spirit and a recognition of the complexity and mystery of life. It encourages listeners to embrace both the light and the darkness, to pursue their passions and dreams, and to live with a sense of purpose and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Tune me in to the wild side of life
Help me experience the more exciting, dangerous aspects of life.
I'm an innocent young child sharp as a knife
I may be naive, but I am perceptive and intelligent.
Take me to the garretts where the artists have died
Expose me to the places where creative geniuses have suffered and passed away.
Show me the courtrooms where the judges have lied
Let me witness the corruption and dishonesty of the justice system.
Let me drink deeply from the water and the wine
Allow me to fully indulge and enjoy life's pleasures.
Light colored candles in dark dreary mines
Bring light and beauty into the darkest and most dismal places.
Look in the mirror and stare at myself
Reflect deeply on my own identity and existence.
And wonder if that's really me on the shelf
Question whether the person I see reflected is truly who I am.
And each day I learn just a little bit more
Every day I gain new knowledge and wisdom.
I don't know why but I do know what for
I may not understand the reasons behind my actions, but I know what I hope to achieve.
If we're all going somewhere let's get there soon
If there is a destination we are all headed toward, let's reach it quickly.
Oh this song's got no title just words and a tune
This song is undefined and undefinable, just a combination of sounds and lyrics.
Take me down alleys where the murders are done
Expose me to the most gruesome and horrific aspects of humanity.
In a vast high powered rocket to the core of the sun
Experience the most intense and impossible journey imaginable.
Want to read books in the studies of men
Read and absorb the knowledge and insights of the great minds of history.
Born on the breeze and die on the wind
Live a life that is fleeting and transient like the wind.
If I was an artist who paints with his eyes
If I were a visionary artist who captures the essence of humanity through my paintings.
I'd study my subject and silently cry
I would closely examine and empathize with the subject of my artwork, to the point of tears.
Cry for the darkness to come down on me
Desire to experience the depths of human emotion, even if it is painful.
For confusion to carry on turning the wheel
Embrace the ambiguity and complexity of life, the continuous cycle of change.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Harthen
on Sacrifice
not like todays crap
Peter Harthen
on Sacrifice
Even at 56 years old, this music still sounds so good to me, how music should sound.....