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)
I Feel Like A Bullet
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I threw the last punch too hard
After years of going steady, well I thought that it was time
To throw in my hand for a new set of cards
And I can't take you dancing out on the weekend
I figured we'd painted too much of this town
And I tried not to look as I walked to my wagon
I knew then I had lost what should have been found
And I feel like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford
I'm low as a paid assassin is
You know I'm cold as a hired sword
I'm so ashamed can't we patch it up
You know I can't think straight no more
You make me feel like a bullet honey in the gun of Robert Ford
Like a child when his toys have been stepped on
That's how it all seemed to me
I burst the bubble that both of us lived in
And I'm damned if I'll ever get rid of this guilt that I feel
And if looks could kill then I'd be a dead man
Your friends and mine don't call no more
Hell, I thought it was best but now I feel branded
Breaking up's sometimes like breaking the law
Breaking up's sometimes like breaking the law
The song "I Feel Like A Bullet" by Elton John tells the story of a man who ended a long-term relationship with a woman, but quickly regrets his decision. In the opening verse, he compares his actions to that of cutting down a cornfield, indicating that he acted without considering the damage he was causing. He describes feeling guilty for hurting the woman he cared about, and laments the loss of their relationship. The chorus compares his emotional state to that of a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford, a hired gun who assassinated Jesse James in 1882. This metaphor emphasizes his feelings of being used and manipulated, suggesting that he was a pawn in someone else's game.
The next verse talks about how the man's decision to end the relationship has led to him feeling isolated and alone. He is no longer able to go out dancing on the weekends with the woman he was with, and he feels as though he has lost something important. The chorus repeats the metaphor of the bullet in the gun, emphasizing how much the man feels like his emotions have been weaponized against him. He is cold and ashamed, unable to think straight due to the intense emotions he is feeling. The final verse emphasizes the long-lasting impact of the breakup, with the man feeling as though he has burst a bubble that they both lived in. He is tormented by guilt and regrets his decision, but feels branded by his role in the relationship's demise.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a corn in a field I cut you down
I ended the relationship abruptly and cruelly, like a farmer cutting down a corn stalk.
I threw the last punch too hard
I went too far in ending things and made a mistake instead of handling it gracefully.
After years of going steady, well I thought that it was time to throw in my hand for a new set of cards
After being committed for a while, I thought it was time for a change or to try something different, like getting a new deck of cards.
And I can't take you dancing out on the weekend
I can't face going out in public with you anymore, especially to something as intimate as dancing.
I figured we'd painted too much of this town
We've been around this town too much and there's nothing new or exciting to do or see anymore.
And I tried not to look as I walked to my wagon
I tried to avoid looking at you as I left and moved on to the next part of my life.
And I knew then I had lost what should have been found
At that moment, I realized that I lost something special that I should have appreciated more and held on to.
And I feel like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford
I feel like a weapon, used by someone else to achieve their own goals (like Robert Ford who killed Jesse James).
I'm low as a paid assassin is
I'm feeling very down and low, like someone who has killed another person for money.
You know I'm cold as a hired sword
I've become cold and distant in my behavior toward you, like a professional assassin who is detached from their target.
I'm so ashamed can't we patch it up
I am filled with deep shame and regret and wish we could reconcile and make things right between us.
You know I can't think straight no more
I'm so emotionally confused and troubled that I can't focus or think straight anymore.
You make me feel like a bullet honey in the gun of Robert Ford
Your behavior towards me has made me feel used and powerless, like a bullet in a gun controlled by someone else (like Robert Ford).
Like a child when his toys have been stepped on
I feel like a child whose toys have been crushed or messed up, helpless and upset.
That's how it all seemed to me
That's how I perceived the situation, as if everything I cared about had been ruined.
I burst the bubble that both of us lived in
I destroyed the bubble of happiness or illusion that we both believed in or relied on.
And I'm damned if I'll ever get rid of this guilt that I feel
I feel deeply guilty for what I have done and don't know how to shake these feelings.
And if looks could kill then I'd be a dead man
I feel like people are judging and condemning me for my actions, which makes me feel as if I'm already dead or destroyed.
Your friends and mine don't call no more
Our mutual friends or acquaintances have stopped contacting either of us, probably due to the negative way in which our relationship ended.
Hell, I thought it was best but now I feel branded
I initially thought breaking up was the best thing for us, but now I feel like I've been marked or stigmatized by my actions.
Breaking up's sometimes like breaking the law
Ending a relationship can be as difficult and painful as breaking the law, with long-lasting consequences for all involved.
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.....