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 Stop And I Breathe
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We took it on the chin
But in the thirteenth hour
No one ever wins
But we're strong enough
Like traffic all tied up
And when the static clears
And I stop and I breathe
Cause you wanted me
And I wanted you so bad
And I stop and I breathe
Cause I still believe
No one really knows what it is that we have
Like blood in a vein
We chased this one down
And in the darkest long night
We turned it all around
And it was coal-dusted snow
That covered the fields
But the corn it still grew
And the injury healed
And I stop and I breathe
Cause you wanted me
And I wanted you so bad
And I stop and I breathe
Cause I still believe
No one really knows what it is that we have
And I stop and I breathe
Cause you wanted me
And I wanted you so bad
And I stop and I breathe
Cause I still believe
No one really knows what it is that we have
In "I Stop And I Breathe," Elton John talks about the strength of a relationship that has withstood the test of time. He acknowledges that struggles and hardships are inevitable, and they may seem insurmountable at times, but that doesn't mean the relationship is lost. Rather, it is in those difficult moments that we must hold on tight to what we have, and let our love and commitment guide us through the rough patches.
The song's main theme is perseverance in the face of adversity. Elton John is saying that no matter how tough things get, if we keep believing in ourselves and our relationship, we can weather any storm. He draws a parallel to traffic - when it is tied up, it seems like chaos, but eventually, the static clears, and things start moving again.
John's lyrics are also filled with references to nature, such as "blood in a vein", "coal-dusted snow," and "corn that still grew." He's drawing a comparison between the resilience of the natural world and the resilience of the human spirit.
In the end, the message is one of hope - that love can overcome anything, and that even in our darkest moments, there can still be light.
Line by Line Meaning
We are still all right
Despite the challenging situation, we are okay and surviving.
We took it on the chin
Although we faced difficulty, we accepted it with resilience.
But in the thirteenth hour, no one ever wins
When things get toughest, it feels like there is no winning, and everyone is struggling.
But we're strong enough, like traffic all tied up
We are capable of handling difficult situations, just like how a traffic jam eventually organizes itself with enough patience.
And when the static clears, the radios still buzz
Even when it seems like nothing is happening, there's always something going on beneath the surface.
And I stop and I breathe, cause you wanted me
I pause to appreciate what I have, because someone I care about also wants the best for me.
And I wanted you so bad
I yearn for what I desire most.
Cause I still believe, no one really knows what it is that we have
Despite outsiders' opinions, I choose to believe in the value of our relationship because no one truly understands it like we do.
Like blood in a vein, We chased this one down
We worked tirelessly to pursue our dreams, just like blood circulates endlessly in our veins.
And in the darkest long night, We turned it all around
Even when we faced the most difficult times, we found a way to make it better and turned things around.
And it was coal-dusted snow, that covered the fields
The environment around us might seem bleak, but there is still hope amidst the gray.
But the corn it still grew, And the injury healed
Despite the hardships, we still found success, and were able to recover from our wounds.
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.....