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)
Did He Shoot Her
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's a real sharp-shooter now
If he's out there hiding in the tall grass
Tell him I said he was a coward
This ain't any old western honey
It's the twentieth century now
But if he thinks he's some kind of tough cowboy
Did he shoot her with his compromise
Like a heart attack he can paralyze
Or did he hang her in a noose
On the telephone line
Did he shoot her with a forty five
Did he leave his mark right between her eyes
Oh did he shoot that girl
That used to be mine
Tell him I'm ready any time he chooses
The pay-off for the things, for the things he's done
He ain't messing with no two-bit bandit
Armed with a couple of guns
If he wants to see it as a two reel movie
He's living in the head of someone else
But better take him down and dust him honey
I want to hear the truth for myself
Did he shoot her
Did he shoot her
The lyrics of the song "Did He Shoot Her?" by Elton John speak about a man who hurt a woman and left her, questioning whether he did it with his words or his actions. The singer is referring to the man as a "sharp-shooter" and "tough cowboy", creating an image of a dangerous and reckless individual. At the same time, the singer acknowledges that this is the 20th century and the imagery of cowboys may no longer be relevant.
The singer then goes on to inquire about the method the man used to hurt the woman, asking whether it was with his words or a physical act. The lyrics suggest that the man may have left a lasting impact on the woman, perhaps with a "heart attack he can paralyze" or a "forty-five" shot "right between her eyes." Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of urgency and a call for justice for the wronged woman.
Line by Line Meaning
Sling your hook in with him baby
Come on over and join him, my love
He's a real sharp-shooter now
He's become quite skilled in hurting people
If he's out there hiding in the tall grass
If he's trying to hide from me
Tell him I said he was a coward
Let him know that I think he's a coward for hiding
This ain't any old western honey
This isn't some old fashioned cowboy movie
It's the twentieth century now
We're living in modern times
But if he thinks he's some kind of tough cowboy
If he thinks he's powerful and invincible
And he's hurt her then I want to know how
And if he caused harm to my loved one, I want to know how he did it
Did he shoot her with his compromise
Did he cause her harm through deceit or betrayal?
Like a heart attack he can paralyze
Did he hurt her so badly that it was like a heart attack that left her paralyzed?
Or did he hang her in a noose
Did he metaphorically hang her, causing her to feel trapped?
On the telephone line
Did he cause her harm through communication?
Did he shoot her with a forty five
Did he use a gun to harm her?
Did he leave his mark right between her eyes
If he did use a gun, did he leave a visible mark on her face?
Oh did he shoot that girl
Did he harm my loved one?
That used to be mine
The girl who was once my romantic partner
Tell him I'm ready any time he chooses
Let him know I'm ready to confront him whenever he's available
The pay-off for the things, for the things he's done
He will face consequences for the harm he caused
He ain't messing with no two-bit bandit
He's not messing with someone who's unimportant or insignificant
Armed with a couple of guns
Someone who's only armed with a couple of guns won't be a challenge to him
If he wants to see it as a two reel movie
If he thinks this is all just a show or a game
He's living in the head of someone else
He's not living in reality
But better take him down and dust him honey
But it's better to confront him and make him answer for his actions
I want to hear the truth for myself
I want to know the whole truth about what he did
Did he shoot her
Did he cause harm to my loved one?
Did he shoot her
Did he shoot her?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.....