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)

El Dorado
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Our glorious city
Was build by the divinities by Gods
Who saw fit to bestow
The gift of a pardise
Peaceful and harmonious upon
Us mere mortals below

And made El Dorado

The magnificent and golden
One thousand years ago
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado

But all this was granted
For only one millennium
I know my legacy is to fulfill
My promise to all my people
Who have trusted me, the Gods
Will approve of us still

Preserve El Dorado
The magnificent and golden
And I believe they will

El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado

The mountains so high and waters deep
Are her disguise
Her secrets are safe from foreign hands
And eyes forever

Preserve El Dorado
The magnificent and goldent
And I believe they will

El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado

El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado

Overall Meaning

The song "El Dorado" is an ode to a city named after the legendary lost city of gold. In the song, Elton John sings about how the city was built by gods a thousand years ago, as a gift to us mere mortals below. The city was described as a peaceful and harmonious paradise and was called El Dorado, meaning "the golden one." However, El Dorado was only granted for one millennium, and the singer of the song, the city's leader, is determined to preserve it for his people.

The song is a marvellous blend of the worlds of Elton John and Hans Zimmer, showcasing Elton's emotive delivery of the lyrics and Zimmer's fantastic music composition. The lyrics of the song convey the idea that El Dorado is more than just a physical city, but an idea in itself, a symbol of hope for the people who live there. The singer of the song sees it as his duty to preserve this city for future generations, ensuring that the gods who built it continue to approve of their actions.

The song "El Dorado" serves as a reminder that, despite our mortality, we have the power to create something beautiful that can transcend time, even if that something isn't physical. It encourages us to take pride in the things we create and the legacies we leave. It is a beautiful song that speaks to the idea of hope and perseverance.

Line by Line Meaning

Our glorious city
The city we inhabit is remarkably great

Was build by the divinities by Gods
The city was constructed by deities of the divine realm

Who saw fit to bestow
The Gods found it appropriate to gift

The gift of a pardise
They bestowed the gift of paradise

Peaceful and harmonious upon
This paradise brought tranquility and peace to

Us mere mortals below
The humans who dwell beneath them

And made El Dorado
As a result, they created El Dorado

The magnificent and golden
A grand and dazzling city of gold

One thousand years ago
This city was established 1,000 years prior

But all this was granted
Unfortunately, it was only approved for

For only one millennium
A short period of 1,000 years