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)
Goodbye Yellow
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When are you going to land?
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man
You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
The blues, ah, ah
So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road
Ah, ah
What do you think you'll do then?
I bet they'll shoot down the plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
To set you on your feet again
Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
Sniffing for tidbits like you
On the ground, ah, ah
So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road
Ah, ah
The lyrics of Elton John's song "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" depict a young man's farewell to fame, riches and the glamorous lifestyle that comes with them. The singer questions when he will come down from the high life and land back in reality. He regrets not listening to the wisdom of his old man, who advised him to stay on the farm. The singer is trying to convey that he is unhappy with his current lifestyle and wants to return to his roots rather than being someone's present.
The young man admits he can't be held forever, indicating that he wants to leave his fame behind to start a new, more modest life. He claims that he is too young to be singing the blues, referring to the hardships he faced as a famous person. He decides it's time to take hold of his life and announces he is leaving the yellow brick road behind, where the dogs of society howl at him. These lines reference the unfriendly attitudes of those who do not share the same level of success and the pressure of high society.
The singer wants to go back to working on his farm, hunting the horny back toad, and back to the howling old owl in the woods, which symbolizes his return to nature, simplicity, and peace. He is determined that his future lies beyond the yellow brick road, marking his decision to leave the flashy, superficial and phony world of fame.
In summary, the lyrics of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" convey a young man's desire to leave behind his successful and high profile life that no longer brings him true satisfaction and joy, to return to his roots and live a simpler life.
Line by Line Meaning
When are you gonna come down?
When are you going to realize that you cannot keep me under your control?
When are you going to land?
When are you going to accept reality and come back to the ground level?
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have followed the advice of my elders and stayed close to my roots.
I should have listened to my old man
I should have taken the wisdom of my father or elders more seriously when it was being imparted.
You know you can't hold me forever
You might try to control me, but eventually, I will break free.
I didn't sign up with you
I never intended to become what you wanted me to be.
I'm not a present for your friends to open
I refuse to be displayed like a gift for your friends or anyone else in your social circle.
This boy's too young to be singing the blues
I am still young and have a long way to go. I need to live my life on my terms without any worries.
So goodbye yellow brick road
I am leaving behind the facade of a beautiful life and taking the real path ahead.
Where the dogs of society howl
The mainstream society is no place for me, and I don't want to conform to its norms.
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I don't belong in your luxury lifestyle, so don't try to make me fit in.
I'm going back to my plough
I'm returning to my rural roots where my heart belongs.
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
I'd rather spend my time in solitary nature than in the company of the corrupt 'dogs of society.'
Hunting the horny back toad
I am willing to take on the tough road ahead and handle all the challenges myself.
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road
I have finally realized that there's much more to life than the superficial luxuries of society.
What do you think you'll do then?
What do you plan to do with your life once you realize that materialistic things cannot bring happiness?
I bet they'll shoot down the plane
People will always try to bring you down when you try to be different or when you take a stand.
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics to set you on your feet again
Recovering from a difficult situation or a broken heart might take time and may require some kind of an emotional crutch.
Maybe you'll get a replacement
Perhaps you'll find someone else to fill the void in your life.
There's plenty like me to be found
There are a lot of people who are looking for their identity and want to break free from societal norms.
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
These are people who have nothing, no societal status or money, but they will still relish their freedom.
Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground
Trying to find their footing in the mainstream society, a society that values only the rich and the famous.
Ah, ah
No meaning as such; just an interlude/pause.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernard J. P. 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.....