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)
Give Peace A Chance
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shagism, dragism and madism
Ragism and tagism bob tailing
Thisism, thatism, ism, ism, ism
George Chisolm, yes
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
Is give peace a chance
Everybody's talking about ministers
Sinisters, banisters, canisters
Roger Bannisters, bishops, bishops
Bishop Auckland, rabbis, Popeyes, bye-byes
Max Bygraves and everybody else
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
Everybody's talking about revolution
Evolution, The Everly Brothers, mastication
Euston Station, fladulation, flatulation
Regulations, integration, mediation
United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
Everybody in the Soviet Union, unite
Go down to the shops and talk about John and Yoko
Timothy Leary, Barbara Windsor, Yoko Ono, Madonna
Bobby Dylan, Bobby Charlton, Eddie Charlton
Tommy Cooper and the Amazing Horseradish Dancers
Derek Baker, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg and the Hare Krishna Three
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
Everybody's talking about gagism, tagism
Shagism, dragism, madism
Ragism, tagism, botulism, thisism, thatism
Listen to this
Everybody's talking about ministers
Sinisters, banisters, canisters
Bishops, bishops, Bishop's Avenue
Why not talk about Bishop's Avenue
I've got a lovely house on Bishop's Avenue
Everybody's talking about Popeye, Olive Oyl
Everybody, everybody, everybody, Mrs. Jean Schnook
Twenty Three Chepstow Villas
Because they are the next contestant on "Make a be -Side"
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
All we are saying
Is give peace a chance
The song "Give Peace a Chance" by Elton John is a clear message of the need for peace in the world. The lyrics are a commentary on the fragmented state of the world and the various -isms (blagism, shagism, dragism, etc.) and groups that people identify with. The song encourages people to put aside their differences and grievances, and simply find a way to coexist in peace.
The song also mentions notable figures of the time, including politicians (ministers, United Nations), musicians (The Everly Brothers, Bobby Dylan), actors (Barbara Windsor, Tommy Cooper), and activists (Timothy Leary, Yoko Ono). These mentions reflect the influence and impact these people had on the culture and society of the time.
Overall, "Give Peace a Chance" is a call to action for people to work together towards a common goal of peace and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody is talking about blagism
People are discussing different kinds of lifestyles, such as pretending or bluffing (blagism), unconventional behavior (shagism, dragism, madism), and following the latest trends (ragism and tagism).
Thisism, thatism, ism, ism, ism
In addition to specific terms, people are talking in general about different ideologies or belief systems (ism).
George Chisolm, yes
George Chisolm is a Scottish jazz trombonist who might be added to the list of people being discussed.
All we are saying
This is the main phrase of the song and expresses its central message.
Is give peace a chance
The message is a call for peace and nonviolence in the world.
Everybody's talking about ministers
Other topics of conversation include people who have positions of authority in religious or political institutions (ministers and bishops).
Sinisters, banisters, canisters
There are also sinister or evil individuals (sinisters) and objects like railings (banisters) and containers (canisters) that come up in conversation.
Roger Bannisters, bishops, bishops
Specifically, people are discussing notable figures like Roger Bannister (the first person to run a mile in under four minutes), religious figures (bishops), and Bishop Auckland (a town in Northeast England).
Bishop's Avenue
There is also a street in London called Bishop's Avenue that someone mentions and boasts about owning a house on.
All we are saying
The second repetition of the main phrase reinforces the song's message.
Is give peace a chance
The song is a plea for people to choose peace over violence and conflict.
Everybody's talking about revolution
Other discussions involve topics like social or political upheaval (revolution), gradual change over time (evolution), and famous people from music (The Everly Brothers) and other fields.
Mastication, fladulation, flatulation
There are also obscure terms related to eating (mastication), praising (fladulation), and flatulence (flatulation) being thrown around.
Regulations, integration, mediation
More general topics like rules or standards (regulations), coming together (integration), and dispute resolution (mediation) are also being discussed.
United Nations, congratulations
The mention of the United Nations, an international peacekeeping organization, is followed by congratulations, perhaps for its efforts towards peace.
Everybody in the Soviet Union, unite
The song calls for people in the Soviet Union, at the time a communist country, to come together and unite for the cause of peace.
Go down to the shops and talk about John and Yoko
Some specific people are mentioned, such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who were known for their activism and peace efforts.
Timothy Leary, Barbara Windsor, Yoko Ono, Madonna
Other famous individuals from various fields like Timothy Leary (a psychologist and counterculture figure), Barbara Windsor (an English actress), and Madonna (a pop icon) are also brought up.
Bobby Dylan, Bobby Charlton, Eddie Charlton
Some men named Bobby like Bob Dylan (a folk singer-songwriter) and two football players named Bobby Charlton and Eddie Charlton are also mentioned.
Tommy Cooper and the Amazing Horseradish Dancers
The song becomes more absurd by including the name of a comedian (Tommy Cooper) and a group of dancers who perform with a vegetable condiment (horseradish).
Derek Baker, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg and the Hare Krishna Three
Other names include Derek Baker (a poet), Norman Mailer (a writer), Alan Ginsberg (a poet), and the Hare Krishnas (a religious group) consisting of three individuals.
Everybody's talking about gagism, tagism
Finally, people are talking about various other 'isms' like teasing (gagism) and labels or tags (tagism).
Botulism, thisism, thatism
Disease (botulism) and other types of belief systems or ideologies (thisism, thatism) are also being mentioned.
Listen to this
This phrase introduces the repetition of the main phrase one last time, emphasizing the song's message.
All we are saying
The final repetition further drives home the song's main message.
Is give peace a chance
The song's call for peace and nonviolence is its most important message.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
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.....