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 Need You To Turn To
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are nailed to my love in many lonely nights
I've strayed from the cottages and found myself here
For I need your love your love protects my fears
And I wonder sometimes and I know I'm unkind
But I need you to turn to when I act so blind
And I need you to turn to when I lose control
Did you paint your smile on, well I said I knew
That my reason for living was for loving you
We're related in feeling but you're high above
You're pure and you're gentle with the grace of a dove
The lyrics of Elton John’s song I Need You To Turn To embody the idea of a relationship in which one partner is dependent on the other for emotional support and love. However, the song presents a beautiful depiction of that dependency. The opening line, “You're not a ship to carry my life,” suggests that the singer does not encumber the person they’re singing about with the weight of his existence. The singer recognizes that his love interest has his own life and existence apart from what they share together.
The subsequent lines, “You are nailed to my love in many lonely nights,” signify the extent of the singer’s emotional attachment. The person they’re singing to provides comfort and reassurance during times of loneliness. The chorus further reinforces the theme of emotional dependence, with the singer admitting that they need the person they’re singing to when they’re at their worst. The line, “you're my guardian angel who keeps out the cold,” suggests that the person provides a sense of safety and security, which the singer so desperately needs.
The imagery of “You’re pure and you’re gentle with the grace of a dove” signals the person’s character traits, which the singer admires. The final lyrics of the song express the singer’s realization of their dependency on the person they sing about as they continuously repeat the line, “I need you to turn to,” conveying the sentiment that without their love, the singer would be lost. This song represents a beautiful embodiment of love and emotional support in its purest form.
Line by Line Meaning
You're not a ship to carry my life
You don't have to carry my burden.
You are nailed to my love in many lonely nights
You are the one person who stands by me through thick and thin.
I’ve strayed from the cottages and found myself here
I have made mistakes along the way and now I have come back to you.
For I need your love your love protects my fears
I need your love to keep me safe from my fears and doubts.
And I wonder sometimes and I know I'm unkind
Sometimes I feel lost and I know I haven't been kind to you.
But I need you to turn to when I act so blind
But in those moments of blindness, I need you to turn to.
And I need you to turn to when I lose control
When I lose control of myself, I need you to be there for me.
You're my guardian angel who keeps out the cold
You are like a guardian angel who protects me from the chill of the world.
Did you paint your smile on, well I said I knew
I know when you are putting on a brave face for me, but I appreciate it nonetheless.
That my reason for living was for loving you
My purpose in life is to love and be loved by you.
We're related in feeling but you're high above
We have a deep, emotional connection, but you are better than me in many ways.
You're pure and you're gentle with the grace of a dove
You possess a pure, gentle quality that reminds me of a dove.
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.....