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)

Day Is Done
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the day is done
Down to Earth then sinks the sun
Along with everything that was lost and won
When the day is done

When the day is done
Hope so much your race will be all run
Then you find you jumped the gun

Have to go back where you begun
When the day is done

When the night is cold
Some get by but some get old
Just to show life's not made of gold
When the night is cold

When the bird has flown
Got no one to call your own
Got no place to call your home
Now the bird has flown

When the game's been fought
Newspaper blowing across the court
Lost much sooner than you would have thought
Now the game's been fought

When the party's through
Seems so very sad for you
Didn't do the things you meant to do
Now there's no time to to start anew
Now the party's through

When the day is done
Down to Earth then sinks the sun
Along with everything that was lost and won
When the day is done

Day is done
When the day is done

Overall Meaning

Elton John's song "Day Is Done" is a reflective ballad about the ending of a day and what it represents. It speaks to the universal experience of all humans, reminding listeners about the fleeting nature of life and the importance of making the most of each moment. Throughout the song, Elton John explores themes of loss, regret, and hope, conveying a range of emotions that resonate with anyone who has ever experienced a bittersweet ending to a day.

The first stanza of the song evokes the idea of closure, as the singer notes how everything "sinks" with the setting sun at the end of the day. This imagery suggests that the day is truly over and that nothing can be done to bring it back. In the second stanza, the singer reflects on the idea of finishing our own "race," but realizing that we've "jumped the gun" and still have a long way to go. This lyric speaks to the idea that life is a journey, not a destination, and that we must continue to strive for our goals even when we feel like we've fallen short. In the following stanzas, Elton John explores the idea of loss and loneliness, touching on the universal experience of feeling alone and losing something we once had. The final stanza reflects on the idea of missed opportunities, reminding listeners to make the most of every moment because time is finite.

Line by Line Meaning

When the day is done
At the end of the day

Down to Earth then sinks the sun
The sun sets

Along with everything that was lost and won
Just like every day, it has had successes and failures

Hope so much your race will be all run
Hoping that each task would have been completed successfully by the end of the day

Then you find you jumped the gun
Find yourself a little behind the progress when the day ends

Have to go back where you begun
Having to do more work to compensate for lost time

When the night is cold
During the cold, harsh times of life

Some get by but some get old
Some people survive, others age and give up during tough times

Just to show life's not made of gold
It is a reminder that life isn't perfect

When the bird has flown
When you lose your loved ones

Got no one to call your own
Left alone without anyone to turn to