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)
Blowing In the Wind
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change your name
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would've liked to know you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Loneliness was tough
The toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
Even when you died
Oh, the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would've liked to know you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Goodbye, Norma Jeane
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
Goodbye, Norma Jeane
From the young man in the twenty second row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would've liked to know you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Elton John's Candle in the Wind is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, and it serves as a poignant reminder that even the strongest, brightest candles can be extinguished. The lyrics describe how Norma Jeane aka Marilyn Monroe was held to a double standard by Hollywood and the press. She was told to change her name and her appearance to fit in with the industry standards. Despite this, she behaved with grace and poise. The chorus likens her to a candle in the wind, meaning she was delicate in the face of difficulties and never knew who to rely on during difficult times. The singer confesses that they would have liked to have known her better but were just a kid at the time of her death.
The second verse delves into the loneliness that Marilyn experienced as a result of fame. She was showered with affection and praise on screen, but when the cameras stopped rolling, she was alone. She was not just another Hollywood star, but Marilyn Monroe, an internationally renowned symbol of glamour, beauty, and sex appeal. She paid the price for it with her life and was ultimately found dead, sparking a media spectacle that further exacerbated the tragedy.
In the final verse of the song, Elton addresses Marilyn directly, saying goodbye to her with a sense of wistfulness, admiration, and affection. He depicts himself as a fan of her work, one who acknowledges and respects her humanity, and recognizes that her personality represented more than just her sex appeal. This song will always be an emotional eulogy for Marilyn Monroe, a true legend of her time, whose untimely death continues to inspire tributes like this.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye, Norma Jeane
Elton John bids goodbye to Norma Jeane (Marilyn Monroe) whom he never knew personally
Though I never knew you at all
Elton John did not have a personal connection with Marilyn Monroe
You had the grace to hold yourself
Despite the challenges and pressures she faced, Marilyn Monroe carried herself with grace
While those around you crawled
While people around her gave in to temptation and weakness, Marilyn Monroe remained steadfast
They crawled out of the woodwork
People emerged from obscurity to exploit Marilyn Monroe
And they whispered into your brain
People manipulated Marilyn Monroe to their advantage
They set you on the treadmill
Marilyn Monroe was forced into a life of constant work and high expectations
And they made you change your name
Marilyn Monroe was not allowed to use her birth name and was given a stage name
And it seems to me you lived your life
Elton John observes that Marilyn Monroe lived her life
Like a candle in the wind
Marilyn Monroe's life was uncertain and fragile, like a candle flame in a gust of wind
Never knowing who to cling to
Marilyn Monroe struggled to find genuine allies and true supporters
When the rain set in
When the tough times came
And I would've liked to know you
Elton John expresses his regret for not having met Marilyn Monroe
But I was just a kid
Elton John was too young to have had the opportunity to meet Marilyn Monroe
Your candle burned out long before
Marilyn Monroe's life ended prematurely
Your legend ever did
Despite her untimely death, Marilyn Monroe remains a well-known figure in popular culture
Loneliness was tough
Marilyn Monroe's feelings of isolation were difficult to endure
The toughest role you ever played
Marilyn Monroe faced difficult challenges throughout her life, and living in the public eye was the hardest of all
Hollywood created a superstar
Marilyn Monroe was a product of the entertainment industry
And pain was the price you paid
Marilyn Monroe's success came at a cost
Even when you died
Even after Marilyn Monroe passed away
Oh, the press still hounded you
The media continued to bother Marilyn Monroe even after her death
All the papers had to say
Newspapers only wrote about Marilyn Monroe in a negative light
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude
The press sensationalized Marilyn Monroe's death by focusing solely on her nudity
From the young man in the twenty second row
Elton John sings from the perspective of a young man in the audience
Who sees you as something more than sexual
The young man has a different view of Marilyn Monroe than just her sexualized image
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe belongs to everyone, not just the entertainment industry
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henry Osbourne
No matter what anyone argues: this will always be Marilyn's song and no one else's
Gavin Pepper
Awesome song keep it going
Rita Nelson
Elton John was and will always be one of the greatest intertaners of all time
EagleBit
May you ever Rest In Peace, Norma Jean! One of the greatest all time, been taken away the chance to live a long and happy life, by a world that refused to take you serious until the moment you died!
Patrícia Medina
Amazing song !
Joselyn Jolivet
Great song. Elton John is a legendary entertainer.
sayittomyface idareyou
The best song ever!!!!
Emily Low
Love this song
Andy Cano
What a great artist and showman.
Míriam Auxiliadora
Linda a interpretação,muito tocante!