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)
60 Years On
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the ragged dog they gave me has been ten years in the grave
And senorita play guitar, play it just for you
My rosary has broken and my beads have all slipped through
You've hung up your great coat and you've laid down your gun
You know the war you fought in wasn't too much fun
And the future you're giving me holds nothing for a gun
Yes I'll sit with you and talk let your eyes relive again
I know my vintage prayers would be very much the same
And Magdelena plays the organ, plays it just for you
Your choral lamp that burns so low when you are passing through
And the future you're giving me holds nothing for a gun
I've no wish to be living sixty years on
Elton John's song "Sixty Years On" contemplates the idea of aging and mortality. The song is written from the perspective of someone who is looking towards their future, where they fear their loved ones will be gone and they will be left to face life alone. The opening lyric sets the tone of the song, with the singer wondering who will walk them down the aisle when they are old and alone. As the song progresses, the singer laments the loss of their dog and the breaking of their rosary, symbolizing the loss of innocence and stability in their life.
The second verse addresses a soldier who has returned from war, acknowledging the emotional toll that it has taken on him. The singer acknowledges that the future the soldier is giving him does not hold anything of value for him, including any need for a gun. The final verse is about reliving memories with someone who has aged with the singer, with the suggestion that the two have grown old together. Ultimately, the song is a reflection on the inevitability of time and the fear of being alone in old age.
Line by Line Meaning
Who'll walk me down to church when I'm sixty years of age
Who will accompany me to the church on the day I turn sixty years old?
When the ragged dog they gave me has been ten years in the grave
When the old, scruffy dog they gave me has passed away for ten years.
And señorita play guitar, play it just for you
The lady plays guitar and dedicates the music to you.
My rosary has broken and my beads have all slipped through
My beads have fallen loose from the chain and my rosary is broken.
You've hung up your great coat and you've laid down your gun
You have retired from your military profession.
You know the war you fought in wasn't too much fun
The war you battled in was not enjoyable.
And the future you're giving me holds nothing for a gun
You have nothing in your future to offer me that requires a gun.
I've no wish to be living sixty years on
I do not want to live for another sixty years.
Yes I'll sit with you and talk let your eyes relive again
I will spend time with you and listen to you, allowing you to remember the past in your mind.
I know my vintage prayers would be very much the same
I am aware that my old-fashioned prayers are very similar to yours.
And Magdelena plays the organ, plays it just for you
Magdelena plays the organ and dedicates the music to you.
Your choral lamp that burns so low when you are passing through
The light that illuminates while you walk through the choir section burns dimly.
And the future you're giving me holds nothing for a gun
There is nothing in your future plans that require a gun.
I've no wish to be living sixty years on
I do not want to live for another sixty years.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernie Taupin, Elton John
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jade7602
I keep coming back to these first songs of Elton; the orchestral arrangements are heavenly. I'm 68 years now.
@malbarlow4991
yes i agree , this one is particularly haunting x
@cindyray44
My favorite song of Elton’s
@malbarlow4991
me too , i am also 68 !
@minfu4272
I'm 65 still listening 😍
@charlesbruderer8360
Elton Johns early albums were great. Tumbleweed Connections and Madman Across the Water are among the Best Music ever produced, Then he went "Commercial" what a loss.
@brucejones299
Pure genius. My favorite Elton John song bar none. Even after listening to it for 46 years it still gets to me.
@chrisdavies5372
I know this may sound morbid but I want this played at my funeral. Fabulous song.
@shadywilder
Same here. And now I'm 61 years on.
@kingznut
I know how you feel. Funeral For a Friend will be played at my funeral, which is especially meaningful to me, since I have no immediate family to be there.