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)
Hércules
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like an out of tune guitar
Ooh she got Hercules on her side
And Diana in her eyes
Some men like the Chinese life
Some men kneel and pray
Ooh well I like women and I like wine
Always liked it that way
Doo wop shoo bop
Doo wop shoo bop
Doo wop shoo bop, ah
I can't dig it, the way she tease
That old tough man routine up her sleeve
Living and loving, kissing and hugging
Living and loving with a cat named Hercules
A cat named Hercules
Oh it hurts like hell to see my gal
Messing with a muscle boy
No superman gonna ruin my plans
Playing with my toys
Rich man sweating in a sauna bath
Poor boy scrubbing in a tub
Me, I stay gritty up to my ears
Washing in a bucket of mud
Washing in a bucket of mud
Doo wop shoo wop
Doo wop shoo wop
Doo wop shoo wop, ah
I can't dig it, the way she tease
That old tough man routine up her sleeve
Living and loving, kissing and hugging
Living and loving with a cat named Hercules
A cat named Hercules
Doo wop shoo wop
Doo wop shoo wop
Doo wop shoo wop, ah
I can't dig it, the way she tease
That old tough man routine up her sleeve
Living and loving, kissing and hugging
Living and loving with a cat named Hercules
A cat named Hercules
A cat named Hercules
A cat named Hercules
A cat named Hercules
In this song, Elton John talks about his love for a woman who is strong-willed and has an independent spirit like the Greek goddess Diana. He describes himself as having a "busted wing and a hornet sting," which could be a metaphor for feeling physically or emotionally wounded. Elton then paints a picture of different types of men who have various passions and desires, like those who like the "Chinese life" or those who kneel and pray. However, Elton likes women and wine, and he has always liked it that way. He is drawn to the woman with Hercules on her side, who is comfortable living and loving, kissing and hugging with a cat named Hercules while he stays gritty and washes in a bucket of mud. Though he is hesitant and slightly jealous of the muscle boy who messes with his gal, he knows that no superman can ruin his plans.
Essentially, this song is about Elton's love for a woman who is not typical and outside of the norm. He admires her strength and tenacity and accepts her for who she is, cat and all. Although he feels wounded, either physically or emotionally, he knows that he still has a chance with his feline-loving gal.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh I got a busted wing and a hornet sting
I am injured and hurt
Like an out of tune guitar
I am feeling unwell and uncoordinated
Ooh she got Hercules on her side
She has someone strong and powerful supporting her
And Diana in her eyes
She has a fierce determination and strength in her gaze
Some men like the Chinese life
Some people prefer a particular lifestyle or culture
Some men kneel and pray
Some people have religious beliefs and practices they follow
Ooh well I like women and I like wine
I enjoy simple pleasures such as women and wine
And I've always liked it that way
I have always had these preferences and still do
Doo wop shoo bop
Musical interlude
I can't dig it, the way she tease
I don't like the way she is toying with me
That old tough man routine up her sleeve
She seems to be pretending to be interested in someone else
Living and loving, kissing and hugging
Enjoying life, being affectionate
Living and loving with a cat named Hercules
Living and loving with someone strong and powerful
A cat named Hercules
Someone who is strong and powerful, like a mythological hero
Oh it hurts like hell to see my gal
It is painful to see my partner with someone else
Messing with a muscle boy
Being involved with someone strong and muscular
No superman gonna ruin my plans
No one can stop me from achieving my goals
Playing with my toys
My possessions and interests
Rich man sweating in a sauna bath
Wealthy people have their own way of relaxing
Poor boy scrubbing in a tub
Less wealthy people have simpler ways of cleaning themselves
Me, I stay gritty up to my ears
I am willing to get dirty and do hard work
Washing in a bucket of mud
Using whatever resources are available to me
A cat named Hercules
Someone who is strong and powerful, like a mythological hero
Doo wop shoo wop
Musical interlude
A cat named Hercules
Someone who is strong and powerful, like a mythological hero
A cat named Hercules
Someone who is strong and powerful, like a mythological hero
A cat named Hercules
Someone who is strong and powerful, like a mythological hero
A cat named Hercules
Someone who is strong and powerful, like a mythological hero
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
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.....