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)
Act Of War
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How come you take it so hard when I stay out all night
If I take a drink, is that against the law
And if I have a good time, do you call that an act of war
Well you better believe it boy, this house is your home
I didn't build it up for you to live here on my own
And if you think it's easy to forget about me
We're living on the front line you and me
Fighting on this battleground of misery
Oh go ahead bring on your artillery
And we'll make this an act of war
Give it all you've got `cause I'm all dug in
Keep the punches coming I can take them on the chin
Winner takes all, let the best man win
And we call it an act of war
Well I'm a man of convenience I work a long hard day
After twelve long hours ain't I got the right to play
If living together is getting in the way
Then I call that an act of war
Well if that's your game then honey two can play
I'm going on the town tonight and have some fun my way
Ain't no way baby this girl's gonna stay
I call it, I call it an act of war
And it looks like time ain't been on our side
If we could turn the clock back
We might survive this act of war
In the song Act of War, Elton John and singer Millie Jackson sing about a relationship that has reached its breaking point. The lyrics describe a situation in which the couple is constantly at odds, with each person feeling like their actions are a declaration of war against the other.
The song opens with the man in the relationship defending his actions, insisting that his late nights out and drinking shouldn't be viewed as an act of aggression. He also reminds his partner that their home is just as much his as it is hers. However, the woman counters that he is neglecting their relationship and that she feels pushed aside. She warns him that if he's trying to play a game, she can do the same.
From there, the song transforms into a call and response between Elton John and Millie Jackson. They sing about the couple as if they are soldiers on a battlefield, each trying to outdo the other in their attempts to win the war. The chorus is particularly militaristic, with singers urging each other to bring out their "artillery" and keep the punches coming.
Ultimately, the song is about two people who are too stubborn to back down, even when it's clear that their relationship is reaching a breaking point. The lyrics suggest that the couple might be able to salvage their love if they were willing to turn back the clock and start over.
Line by Line Meaning
This ain't no battle honey, this ain't no fight
This is not a serious conflict, my dear
How come you take it so hard when I stay out all night
Why do you get upset when I go out at night?
If I take a drink, is that against the law
Is it illegal for me to drink alcohol?
And if I have a good time, do you call that an act of war
Do you consider it a hostile move if I enjoy myself?
Well you better believe it boy, this house is your home
You should realize that this house belongs to both of us
I didn't build it up for you to live here on my own
I didn't create this home to live here alone
And if you think it's easy to forget about me
If you assume it's simple to disregard me
You'd better think twice, you'd better believe it's an act of war
You should reconsider since it's a hostile move towards me
We're living on the front line you and me
We're in a precarious situation, my dear
Fighting on this battleground of misery
Struggling in this unhappy environment
Oh go ahead bring on your artillery
Feel free to use your most potent weapons
And we'll make this an act of war
And we'll turn this into a hostile conflict
Give it all you've got `cause I'm all dug in
Put all your effort into it, I'm well-prepared
Keep the punches coming I can take them on the chin
Continue to attack me, I can handle it
Winner takes all, let the best man win
The victor will take everything, may the best person win
And we call it an act of war
And we refer to it as being hostile
Well I'm a man of convenience I work a long hard day
I'm a practical person, I work a lot
After twelve long hours ain't I got the right to play
After working for twelve hours, don't I deserve to relax?
If living together is getting in the way
If coexisting is becoming an issue
Then I call that an act of war
Then I consider that to be a hostile move
Well if that's your game then honey two can play
If that's the way you want to play, then I can do the same
I'm going on the town tonight and have some fun my way
I'm going out tonight and enjoying myself my way
Ain't no way baby this girl's gonna stay
There's no chance that I'm going to stay here
I call it, I call it an act of war
I refer to it as a hostile move
And it looks like time ain't been on our side
It appears that time has not been kind to us
If we could turn the clock back
If we could travel back in time
We might survive this act of war
We could potentially overcome this conflict
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.....