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)
But Not For Me
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lucky star's above, but not for me
With love to lead the way, I've found more clouds are gray
Than any Russian play could guarantee
I was a fool to fall and get that way
High ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
Although I can't dismiss the memory of her kiss
It all began so well, but what an end
This is the time a feller needs a friend
When every happy plot ends with a marriage knot
And there's no knot for me
Elton John’s song “But Not For Me” is a poignant reflection on the feeling of being left out and overlooked in the search for love. The opening lyrics, “They're writing songs of love, but not for me. A lucky star's above, but not for me,” indicate that despite the abundance of love and romantic stories in the world, the singer is still searching for their own partner.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on their own failed attempts at love, saying “With love to lead the way, I've found more clouds are gray. Than any Russian play could guarantee.” The comparison to a Russian play suggests that the singer feels as if their search for love has become a performance or production, rather than a genuine experience.
The lyrics also suggest that while the singer has experienced love in the past, it has not ended well. They say “Although I can't dismiss the memory of her kiss, I guess she's not for me” indicating that despite their connection with a previous partner, it was not meant to be.
The final verse expresses a sense of loneliness and despair, as the singer observes the happy endings of other people’s love stories while feeling left out. “When every happy plot ends with a marriage knot, and there's no knot for me” suggests that the singer feels as if they are constantly witnessing others finding love and commitment, yet they have yet to find it for themselves.
Overall, Elton John’s “But Not For Me” is a song that speaks to the universal experience of feeling left out and alone in the search for love.
Line by Line Meaning
They're writing songs of love, but not for me
Love songs are being written but none are meant for me.
A lucky star's above, but not for me
Fortune smiles on others but never on me.
With love to lead the way, I've found more clouds are gray
Than any Russian play could guarantee
Despite all my attempts at finding love, my life still remains gloomy than even the most pessimistic of fictional works.
I was a fool to fall and get that way
High ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
To have fallen in love with her was sheer folly and now all I can do is lament about it.
Although I can't dismiss the memory of her kiss
I guess she's not for me
While I can't forget the pleasant memory of her kiss, it's clear that she doesn't belong to me.
It all began so well, but what an end
This is the time a feller needs a friend
My relationship had a promising start but eventually failed, and now I need someone to lean on.
When every happy plot ends with a marriage knot
And there's no knot for me
All stories with happy endings conclude with a wedding, but sadly, there's no wedding for me.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@manguera9
"they are writing song of love ,but not for me" one of the most beautiful lyrics of the time and the melody.
@PepperWilliamsMusicBlend
Never thought that Elton could pull off a song like this. It was excellent!!! And the arrangement was TOP KNOTCH!!!
@patriciathomas1252
I love this song. So beautiful. Elton did it justice!
@peppermarki
amen to that i love it
@SEPTEMBERANCH
My favorite version! From the movie , "Four Weddings and a Funeral"
@xstefania6180
Mine too
@gmar7836
Same
@zimmiewilliams4911
Yup.
@patriciaurrutia7914
Judy Garland en los 40...la recomiendo!!!
@YTfancol
Same here :-)