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 Heard It Through The Grapevine
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah
I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
In Elton John's rendition of the song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," the singer speaks to a lover who has been unfaithful to him. The lyrics express the shock and heartbreak felt upon learning of this betrayal in a way that resonates with listeners. The song's opening line, "I bet you're wonderin' how I knew," signals the singer's knowledge of his lover's infidelity. He goes on to describe his feelings of hurt and loss as he contemplates life without the person he loves so deeply. The chorus repeats the line, "I heard it through the grapevine," highlighting the pain of finding out about the betrayal second-hand rather than from his lover directly.
Through the use of powerful, emotive language, John captures the pain of heartbreak in this song. His lyrics express a raw and vulnerable emotion that anyone who has been in this situation can relate to. The track's upbeat tempo and catchy tune make it a classic pop song that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
I know you're wondering how I found out
'Bout your plans to make me blue
About your plan to upset me
With some other guy you knew before
You're with someone else that you've known previously
Between the two of us guys
Out of the two of us, guys
You know I loved you more
You know I love you more than anyone else ever will
It took me by surprise I must say
I must admit it caught me off guard
When I found out yesterday
When I heard the news yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
You know I found out through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
You won't be mine for much longer
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Oh, I'm about to go crazy
Honey, honey yeah.
A term of endearment
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
I know men aren't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
But I can't stop myself from crying
Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be the end of me
'Cause you mean that much to me
Because you mean so much to me
You could have told me yourself
You could have told me in person
That you loved some one else
That you loved someone else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Instead, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind
And I'm about to go crazy
People say believe half of what you see
People say to only believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
And none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
If it's true, please tell me
Do you plan to let me go
Do you plan on leaving me?
For the other guy you loved before?
For the guy you loved before?
I'm just about to love my mind
I'm about to go crazy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doug James
By far the best Elton rendition of this song. The high-pitched vocals aside, the piano accompaniment Elton used here fits the melody line perfectly.
CringeHub Central
Vocals in my option were the best version yet to cause 1979 is were he started to grasp his true rock voice
Doug James
@CringeHub Central You're right of course, probably one of his best vocal renditions of this number... I think the higher pitch doesn't necessarily suit the tune, but his performance is good, especially after so much vodka.
Roger Nevez
One of the best versions of this Marvin Gaye's classic.
Unfortunately I've never saw EJ playing it entirely.
J F H M
There are quite a few audio recordings of him doing this song from 1977, but in a fairly different arrangement compared to this. Here is a very extended rendition of him and Ray performing it during the same year this clip is from; He plays a second verse this time, the third must've eluded him, and he goes into a nearly 8 minute solo/ADT'd vocal improv, which is very groovy nonetheless. It's 10 and a half minutes long:
https://youtu.be/4mTPm1diGYU
Fanatical Dueling
J F H M Love the video you showed , only thing is, it’s not in the same key as it is here.
Wagner Cabrerisso
You're gonna find It on "The Last Show" - Wembley Arena, Nov.1977.
Walter Da Paixão
Bacana. Bom rever.
mocus1
Well, very nice, wish I could have heard the entire piece !
Sweaty Finger Rainstone
damn i love Ray Cooper. These drums are insane