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)
Hard Luck Story
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Staring at the same four walls
Waiting for the working day to end
Then I get home so wasted, worn out
I curse at you and tell you
How I've done the work of ten to fifteen men
How I've struggled for my money
Sweated blood to get us by, yeah
Think I'm gonna have to leave here for a while
All you hear are hard luck stories
And the ways I look at life
And the way I think the world treats me
And the way that I treat my wife
I never seem to look at you
And see that somewhere underneath
A pair of tired eyes are crying out
Well you know I work hard all day long
Let me kiss you once with meaning
Just to kill this nagging doubt
Well you don't deny I do you proud
And you expect me to be tired
You say there's no future in our lives
While I persist I'm putting out the fire
All you hear are hard luck stories
Just a few well chosen words
'Cause you're still the woman of a working man
You've got the heart of a working girl
In Elton John's song Hard Luck Story, the lyrics describe a man who is exhausted from working long hours to provide for his family. He feels unappreciated by his wife and frustrated by the difficulties he faces in his daily life. The repetitive nature of his work has driven him to the brink of insanity as he stares at the same four walls and waits for the working day to end. When he gets home, he is too tired to show his wife love and instead expresses his anger and dissatisfaction with his life.
Although his wife is understanding and supportive, the man fails to see this and only focuses on his own hard luck stories. He portrays himself as a victim of life's circumstances, feeling as though the world treats him unfairly. Despite his complaints and constant negativity, his wife still sees him as a hardworking man with a heart of gold. She understands that the challenges they face are just temporary and that they can overcome them together.
The lyrics of the song convey the struggles of working-class individuals who are barely getting by. It highlights the importance of communication and appreciation in a relationship, reminding us that sometimes we fail to see what is right in front of us. The song's melody combines elements of rock and roll and country, making it a unique addition to Elton John's repertoire.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I think I'm going crazy
I often feel like I'm losing my mind
Staring at the same four walls
I feel trapped and unfulfilled
Waiting for the working day to end
I can't wait to be done with work
Then I get home so wasted, worn out
But when I get home, I'm exhausted and drained
I curse at you and tell you
I take my frustrations out on you
How I've done the work of ten to fifteen men
I feel like I'm working too hard and not getting enough recognition
How I've struggled for my money
I feel like I have to work extra hard just to get by
Sweated blood to get us by, yeah
I've put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to support us
Well I'm tired of it honey
I'm really burned out and can't take it anymore
Think I'm gonna have to leave here for a while
I think I need a break from all of this
All you hear are hard luck stories
All I ever talk about are my problems
And the ways I look at life
I have a really negative outlook on things
And the way I think the world treats me
I feel like the world is against me
And the way that I treat my wife
I take my frustrations out on my wife
I never seem to look at you
I don't appreciate you as much as I should
And see that somewhere underneath
I don't realize that you're struggling too
A pair of tired eyes are crying out
You're hurting and I don't even see it
Well you know I work hard all day long
I do work really hard
Let me kiss you once with meaning
I want to show you how much I care
Just to kill this nagging doubt
So you know that I really do love you
Well you don't deny I do you proud
You do appreciate me and my hard work
And you expect me to be tired
You understand that my job is exhausting
You say there's no future in our lives
But you worry about our future and if we'll make it
While I persist I'm putting out the fire
But I'm still trying to make things work
All you hear are hard luck stories
I need to stop dwelling on my problems
Just a few well chosen words
I need to focus on the good things in my life
'Cause you're still the woman of a working man
Because you're my wife and I'll always work hard to provide for you
You've got the heart of a working girl
You're strong and resilient, just like me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rik Bison
Falling in love with this album all over again.
Nature's Finest
I used to have the vinyl
Cary Willis
It's a damn good one.
Winston Beech
Should have been a single. I always liked this album. Blue Moves that followed was the end of the Elton John peak years.
TravelinBand747
Dan Dare or Street Kids would have been good as single releases. Feed Me was a personal favorite for me, but probably not single release material.
Cary Willis
This track kicks ass.
Daniel Levitin
Cary Willis agree, this whole album is great
Alexander Aquiles
this record brings me many memories, it seems the time ever stopped
Robert Beatty
A shout to Kenny Passerelli. What superb solid bass line driving this total masterpiece jam. Elton, Kiki, and the boys launch into space from his bass pad.
JimmyJoeization
Nice tune. I'm going through his rockin tunes. It's really nice.