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)
Another Pyramid
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is not really in the pink
Hopes could not be minuscular
That he'll come back from the brink
Not to beat around the bush he
Looks like heading for his box
At the risk of seeming pushy
We must plan for future shocks
Our most regal invalid
Is not that much longer for us
Build another pyramid!
Though all doctors and physicians
Have been summoned to his bed
It will soon be top morticians
We'll be calling for instead
With each wheeze the nation's humming
Egypt shakes with every cough
No two ways about what's coming
No discussion - bets are off
Soon our monarch will have filled a
Tomb just like his fathers did
Summon Egypt's greatest builder
Re: another pyramid
We hate to depress the nation
But our leader has been told
He should scrub his next vacation
Even put tonight on hold
This is where his loyal priesthood
Has the chance to do him proud
Holy leaders at the least should
See him happy to his shroud
He must have a vault that's grand by
Any standards, floor to lid
Put five thousand slaves on standby
Build another pyramid!
The lyrics to Elton John's "Another Pyramid" are full of cultural references and imagery that relate to ancient Egyptian history, specifically the practice of building pyramids for pharaohs. The song is sung from the viewpoint of a group of people who are concerned about the health of their ruler and the possibility of his impending death. The opening lines express sadness that the ruler is "not really in the pink," and then the song quickly turns to talk of building another pyramid in anticipation of his passing.
The lyrics are full of references to ancient Egyptian culture, including the god Horus, who is described as warning that the ruler is "not that much longer for us." There are also references to the role of doctors and morticians in ancient Egypt, and the importance of the priesthood in ensuring that the ruler is "happy to his shroud." The song ends with a call to "build another pyramid," which is presented as an important and necessary task for the future of Egypt.
Overall, the lyrics to "Another Pyramid" use historical and cultural references to paint a vivid picture of ancient Egypt and the practice of building pyramids for pharaohs. The song's theme of preparing for death and planning for the future is timeless and universal, and the lyrics are a powerful reminder of the importance of legacy and the enduring impact of leaders throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
Sad to say our mighty ruler
It is with great regret we say that our powerful leader
Is not really in the pink
Is not in good health
Hopes could not be minuscular
We still retain hope, albeit not much
That he'll come back from the brink
That he will recover and return to full health
Not to beat around the bush he
To be straightforward
Looks like heading for his box
Appears to be close to death
At the risk of seeming pushy
Even though it may appear impolite
We must plan for future shocks
We must prepare for the worst
According to the Hawk God Horus
Based on the teachings of Horus, the ancient Egyptian god
Our most regal invalid
Our king, who is currently in poor health
Is not that much longer for us
Will not be with us for much longer
Build another pyramid!
We must construct a grand tomb for him, like his forefathers
Though all doctors and physicians
Despite the presence of skilled medical professionals
Have been summoned to his bed
Who have been called to attend to him
It will soon be top morticians
It won't be long before the best embalmers are called in
We'll be calling for instead
To prepare his body for burial
With each wheeze the nation's humming
With every breath he takes, the whole country is on edge
Egypt shakes with every cough
Every cough he makes sends shockwaves throughout Egypt
No two ways about what's coming
There is no doubt about the inevitable outcome
No discussion - bets are off
There is no point in debating, as the outcome is certain
Soon our monarch will have filled a
In the near future, our king will have a
Tomb just like his fathers did
Grand burial place, similar to those that his predecessors had
Summon Egypt's greatest builder
We must call upon the most skilled builder in Egypt
Re: another pyramid
To construct another grand tomb
We hate to depress the nation
We regret to cause sadness to the people
But our leader has been told
However, we must face the reality that our leader has been informed
He should scrub his next vacation
He must cancel his upcoming holiday plans
Even put tonight on hold
He must also cancel his current engagements
This is where his loyal priesthood
This is the time for his faithful religious leaders
Has the chance to do him proud
To show their loyalty and devotion to him
Holy leaders at the least should
At a minimum, his religious leaders must
See him happy to his shroud
Ensure that he is content until his burial
He must have a vault that's grand by
He needs a grand tomb that
Any standards, floor to lid
Is spectacular in every way, from the ground to the top
Put five thousand slaves on standby
We must have 5000 slaves ready to work on it immediately
Build another pyramid!
To quickly construct another grand tomb for him before he passes away
Contributed by Jasmine O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.....