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)
Heartache All Over The World
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From this house on the hill
There's a devil inside
Sitting on the window sill
And it's a wild Friday night
And I'm all on my own
I knocked on every door in town
And everybody's got a date
And the ones that ain't are tired
What the hell do you do on a weekend honey
When your heart's on fire
And you can go from Tokyo to Rome
Looking for a girl
But it looks to me like the weekend means
Heartache all over the world
Girls, girls, girls
Have pity on me
Oh it looks to me like the weekend means
Heartache, heartache all over the world
He's got lipstick on his collar
She's got fishnets on her legs
I'm at home and I've got nothing
Just a cold and aching head
There must be something dirty
Just blame it on the magazines
Don't read that trash it'll drive you crazy
`Cause the cops invade your dreams
And everybody's got a date
And the one's that ain't are tired
What the hell do you do on a weekend honey
When your heart's on fire
The lyrics to Elton John's "Heartache All Over the World" paint a picture of a lonely man on a Friday night trying to find solace and love, but failing to do so. He's running away from his fears and problems, which manifest as a "devil" sitting on his window sill in a house on a hill. Despite his efforts to find someone to spend the night with, it seems like every door he knocks on is closed, and there's no one available.
The refrain, "Heartache all over the world," is a poetic way of expressing the universal human experience of longing for love and connection, but being thwarted by circumstances like bad timing or the unavailability of others. The singer of the song seems to be frustrated by the fact that everyone he knows is either in a relationship or too tired to go out, leaving him feeling isolated and vulnerable.
In the second verse, the lyrics take on a slightly more cynical tone. The singer notes that other people seem to be enjoying themselves on the weekends, but that he's stuck at home with a cold and aching head. He also observes that there's something "dirty" about the whole scene, perhaps alluding to the fact that people often engage in casual sex or other forms of debauchery on weekends. However, he also cautions against indulging in "trash" like tabloid magazines, which he suggests can warp your perspective on reality and make it harder to find happiness.
Overall, "Heartache All Over the World" is a bittersweet reflection on the ups and downs of the human heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm running away
Starting off distraught by escaping from a place where internal turmoil resides
From this house on the hill
Referencing the metaphorical height of status that is not sufficient to hide the presence of hidden unpleasantness
There's a devil inside
Internal turmoil and confusion is so intense that it feels like it has a malevolent source
Sitting on the window sill
A threat that is unwaryingly nearby and physical
And it's a wild Friday night
A night that is usually alive with activities
And I'm all on my own
Feeling deserted and helpless
I knocked on every door in town
Making relentless and unsuccessful attempts at seeking help
There ain't one little girl that's home
The inability to find comfort when it is needed the most
And everybody's got a date
Sensing that the world is all about companionship, love, and having someone to rely on
And the ones that ain't are tired
The total absence of carefree or happy people, even in those who are single and available
What the hell do you do on a weekend honey
Expressing the exasperation of being unable to understand how others handle life
When your heart's on fire
When the agony of heartache is unbearable
And you can go from Tokyo to Rome
The desire to escape from the current predicament by running away to another place
Looking for a girl
Going in search of love and companionship
But it looks to me like the weekend means
Despite efforts, there seems to be no respite from the heartache
Heartache all over the world
Distress and agony are universal experiences
Girls, girls, girls
Repeatedly resorting to seeking solace in women
Have pity on me
Making a desperate, emotional appeal to find comfort
Oh it looks to me like the weekend means
The hopelessness that arises from the inability to find solace on a night where people are usually happy
Heartache, heartache all over the world
Expressing the all-encompassing nature of emotional agony that is experienced by everyone universally
He's got lipstick on his collar
Pointing out infidelity in a relationship, causing heartache
She's got fishnets on her legs
Adding to the distress by insinuating that the woman had been unfaithful
I'm at home and I've got nothing
Feeling empty and dejected with a lack of direction
Just a cold and aching head
A physical ailment that is a manifestation of the immense emotional pain
There must be something dirty
Thinking that people are up to no good and are dishonest
Just blame it on the magazines
The media is being blamed for spreading sensational and unrealistic content
Don't read that trash it'll drive you crazy
Urging others not to consume damaging content that can cause harm
`Cause the cops invade your dreams
Even dreams are disturbed by the anguish caused by the situation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
danleeworth
I don't care what Elton or anyone else says, this song rocks! From working out to cruising in the middle of night, I jam this groovy little tune.
Aus80sRockRadio
Correct! It is one of his best.
MrPizza063
Aus80sRockRadio remember playing this song from 1986 in my car and cruising after work yeah
The Swift and Steadfast Unicorn of Love
The best nightime travel song! :)
Travis Jones
+danleeworth totally agree... work in radio and played it and even when it faded kept the 45 and now on my itunes for years... love it
dean` Brady
absolute although he has said this is one of his worse songs hes done i love it love the mature growly voice
Aaron Lucas
A great Elton John song that I haven't heard for 30 years. I love this song and I am so happy I found it again.
Joe Scanlon
1 of my favorites!!!!!! Such energy!!!!!
Jonathan Boote
Hadn't listened to it for ages. Played it just now fairly loud and it's much better than I remember it. Yes it's lightweight, but it's catchy, is a lot of fun and has plenty of energy.
Sam Kaur
One of Elton`s best songs.Have loved it since 1986 and still love it today.Great talent.