Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, John is one of the most successful artists of all time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide in a seven-decade career in music. He is acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, and his lasting impact on the music industry. John's music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

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)

Burning Buildings
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It used to be a sweet sensation
No price too high for love
Now I pay for this bitter taste
And the price is not enough

Such cruel sport for your kicks
Such hard knocks on my heart
How long before the pain ends?

Tell me where living starts

And lovers leap off burning buildings
Waking up on a sky high wire
Desperation leaves us clinging
On the edge of a house on fire

Lovers leap off burning buildings
Live our life on borrowed time
Every flame that ever moved you
Touched your lips but never mine

Lovers leap off burning buildings
No room for conversation
Cold stares and angry words
Fall in pieces from our faces
We read "Do not disturb"

Some lovers just go hungry
Others beg for just a bite

You use me under pressure
To whet your appetite

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Elton John's "Burning Buildings" portray a relationship that has gone sour. The singer is lamenting about the bitter aftertaste of love and how he is paying for it. The once sweet sensation is now a source of pain and heartache. The verses depict the cruelty and hard knocks the singer has gone through in the name of love, and he is left questioning when the pain will end and where living starts.

The chorus of the song describes lovers leaping off of burning buildings and waking up on a sky-high wire. The desperation of clinging onto a house on fire signifies the state of the relationship. The two are living their life on borrowed time, and every flame that ever moved them never quite touched the singer's lips. The final verse depicts the breakdown in communication and how there is no room for conversation. The lovers' stares are cold and their words angry as they fall into pieces from their faces. It all ends in heartbreak as they read "do not disturb," signifying the end of the relationship.

Overall, "Burning Buildings" is a heart-wrenching song about the agony of a relationship going awry. It is a poignant portrayal of the pain and desperation that comes with lost love.

Line by Line Meaning

It used to be a sweet sensation
Love was once a wonderful feeling

No price too high for love
Being in love was worth any cost

Now I pay for this bitter taste
Love has turned sour and I am suffering the consequences

And the price is not enough
The cost is high, but it doesn't even compare to the pain

Such cruel sport for your kicks
You are enjoying hurting me

Such hard knocks on my heart
You have hurt me deeply

How long before the pain ends?
When will the suffering be over?

Tell me where living starts
I need to know how to start moving on with my life

And lovers leap off burning buildings
People will do crazy things for love

Waking up on a sky high wire
Love is dangerous and unpredictable

Desperation leaves us clinging
We hold onto love even when it hurts us