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)
Hey Papa Legba
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fourteen years is a long time in one cell
When the pipe is passed the opium does its rounds
Papa Legba sitting pretty in a chicken little town
His textured skin, like leather in the sun
Fingers beating hard upon a native drum
He picks his teeth with a splintered back rib bone
Hey Papa Legba, hoo-boo-be-do
Hey Papa Legba, no one gonna bother you
Hey Papa Legba, hoo-boo-be-do
Shake Papa Legba, no one's gonna bother you tonight, alright
He was free to dance alone where the spirits run
His almond eyes would twinkle on a hundred sons
His champagne toast and white meat on a spit
Papa Legba's drunken with a smile upon his lips
The lyrics of Hey Papa Legba by Elton John describe the life and experiences of Papa Legba, a Haitian Loa, who was often identified with St. Peter in Catholicism. The first verse of the song talks about how Papa Legba had spent fourteen long years in a cell and had learned many stories during that time, which he was able to recount well. The next line talks about passing a pipe and the effects of opium, which creates a dream-like surreal atmosphere. Papa Legba is described to sit pretty in a little chicken town, which makes sense since he is known to be the Loa that stands at the crossroad, guarding the gate between the visible and the invisible world.
The second verse of the song begins by describing Papa Legba's physical appearance, which is one of a person who has lived a long and textured life, with skin like leather in the sun. His drumming skills are emphasized as he beats his fingers hard upon a native drum. The line about picking his teeth with a splintered back rib-bone is a representation of his inherent strength and tenacity. Papa Legba is depicted as bearing his fangs and laying alone, which speaks about his powerful ability to be alone and still remain a formidable force.
The chorus of the song of Hey Papa Legba by Elton John is a joyful invitation to Papa Legba to dance with freedom in the land of the spirits. The chorus is repeated several times with increasing energy and enthusiasm. The song can be interpreted as a homage to Papa Legba or as an attempt to convey the feelings of liberation and joy he embodies.
Line by Line Meaning
He would recount the stories he had learned so well
He was adept at telling tales he had heard before
Fourteen years is a long time in one cell
Being incarcerated for 14 years is a lengthy time to serve in prison
When the pipe is passed the opium does its rounds
When the smoking device starts circling, the opium travels from person to person
Papa Legba sitting pretty in a chicken little town
Papa Legba is comfortably settled in a small town
His textured skin, like leather in the sun
His skin is rough, akin to sun-dried leather
Fingers beating hard upon a native drum
He plays a native drum with much intensity
He picks his teeth with a splintered back rib bone
He uses a splintered back rib bone to clean his teeth
Papa Legba bears his fangs and lays alone
Papa Legba is fiercely independent and isolates himself
Hey Papa Legba, hoo-boo-be-do
The person is calling out to Papa Legba
Hey Papa Legba, no one gonna bother you
Papa Legba will be left alone and not disturbed
Hey Papa Legba, hoo-boo-be-do
Repeating the callout to Papa Legba
Shake Papa Legba, no one's gonna bother you tonight, alright
The artist reassures Papa Legba that he will not be disturbed that evening
He was free to dance alone where the spirits run
He was at liberty to dance alone at a location where spirits roam
His almond eyes would twinkle on a hundred sons
His eyes would glisten in the light of numerous suns
His champagne toast and white meat on a spit
He enjoyed a celebratory drink and roasted meat on a spit
Papa Legba's drunken with a smile upon his lips
Papa Legba is visibly inebriated but still smiling
Contributed by Natalie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.....