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)
Grey Seal
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why does it rain
And never say good-day to the new-born
On the big screen they showed us the sun
But not as bright in life as the real one
It's never quite the same as the real one
And tell me grey seal
To be so wise
To see through eyes
That only see what's real
Tell me grey seal
I never learned why meteors were formed
I only farmed in schools
That were so warn and torn
If anyone can cry then so can I
I read books and draw life from the eye
All my life is drawings from the eye
And tell me grey seal
How does it feel
To be so wise
To see through eyes
That only see what's real
Tell me grey seal
Your mission bells were wrought by ancient men
The roots were formed by twisted roots
Your roots were twisted then
I was re-born before all life could die
The Phoenix bird will leave this world to fly
If the Phoenix bird can fly then so can I
And tell me grey seal
How does it feel
To be so wise
To see through eyes
That only see what's real
Tell me grey seal
The lyrics of Elton John's song Grey Seal are rich with imagery and metaphors that touch on themes of perception, knowledge, and existence. The opening lines suggest a sense of disconnection from nature, as the singer wonders why the sun never seems as bright in real life as it does on the big screen, and why it is always raining on their lawn. This sense of alienation from the natural world is reinforced by the reference to a newborn who never receives a proper greeting from the sun.
The song then turns inward, with the singer reflecting on their own experiences of learning and growing. They describe a sense of having missed out on certain fundamental knowledge or experiences, such as why meteors were formed. However, they also suggest a deep engagement with life and learning, drawing inspiration from books and from observing the world around them. The repeated refrain about the grey seal suggests a desire for wisdom and insight into the nature of reality, as well as a recognition of the limitations of human perception.
Line by Line Meaning
Why's it never light on my lawn
I wonder why my lawn is always so gloomy and never gets enough sunlight.
Why does it rain
I wonder why it always seems to rain instead of providing some sunlight for my lawn.
And never say good-day to the new-born
Even the weather seems to neglect new beginnings and new life.
On the big screen they showed us the sun
The movies often depict sunshine as radiant and bright.
But not as bright in life as the real one
However, the true experience of the sun is not as dazzling as it is shown in movies.
It's never quite the same as the real one
Reality is never quite as perfect as our imagination.
And tell me grey seal
The singer addresses the wise and mysterious gray seal to gain understanding.
How does it feel
The artist asks the gray seal to explain its feelings and wisdom.
To be so wise
The artist acknowledges and admires the gray seal's great wisdom.
To see through eyes
The artist recognizes that the gray seal has the ability to see deeply into things.
That only see what's real
The gray seal has a unique perspective that only reflects reality.
I never learned why meteors were formed
The artist laments that they never understood the science behind meteor formation.
I only farmed in schools
The singer only received a basic education from schools that were old and rundown.
That were so warn and torn
The schools were in a state of disrepair and neglect.
If anyone can cry then so can I
The singer acknowledges their own empathy toward others.
I read books and draw life from the eye
The artist finds inspiration and meaning from the eye-catching illustrations found in books.
All my life is drawings from the eye
The artist's whole life has been shaped by the images they've seen.
Your mission bells were wrought by ancient men
The gray seal's past is rich and storied, as evidenced by its historical mission bells.
The roots were formed by twisted roots
Even the roots of the gray seal's history are formed from hard twists and turns.
Your roots were twisted then
The gray seal's roots were twisted from the very beginning, a reflection of its difficult past.
I was re-born before all life could die
The artist has seen a rebirth, a new chapter in their life's story, before all life could be lost.
The Phoenix bird will leave this world to fly
The mythical Phoenix bird will leave this world for the heavens.
If the Phoenix bird can fly then so can I
The singer sees themselves in the Phoenix bird's story, and realizes that they too can rise above their circumstances.
And tell me grey seal
The artist seeks guidance from the wise gray seal once more.
How does it feel
The singer continues to ask the gray seal about its inner perceptions and feelings.
To be so wise
The singer repeats their admiration for the gray seal's incredible wisdom.
To see through eyes
The gray seal's ability to see beyond the surface level is praised once more.
That only see what's real
The gray seal's unique perspective that focuses only on reality is reinforced again.
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.....