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)
Imagine
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one
The lyrics of Elton John's version of "Imagine" by John Lennon are a poignant reflection on a utopian vision of a world without the barriers that divide humanity. The opening lines, "Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky," suggest a world free from the constraints of religious beliefs and dogma, where individuals are not bound by the promise of an afterlife or the fear of eternal damnation. This theme of liberation from spiritual constraints is reinforced by the idea of "Imagine all the people living for today," emphasizing the importance of being present in the moment and embracing the potential for happiness and fulfillment in the here and now.
The second verse continues to paint a picture of a world without boundaries or conflict, with the lyrics "Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too." Here, Lennon envisions a global community united by a shared humanity, free from the divisions of nationality and religious affiliation that often serve as catalysts for violence and strife. The call to "Imagine all the people living life in peace, you" underscores the universal desire for harmony and coexistence, highlighting the transformative power of unity and understanding in creating a more peaceful world.
The chorus of the song serves as a poignant reminder that while such ideals may seem far-fetched or idealistic, they are not beyond reach. The lines "You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will be as one" acknowledge the skepticism and cynicism that may accompany such bold visions, yet also express a sense of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. Lennon's plea for solidarity and shared vision resonates as a powerful call to action, urging listeners to imagine a world where compassion and cooperation triumph over division and discord.
The final verse of the song takes this vision one step further, envisioning a world stripped of material possessions and characterized by a spirit of collective responsibility and generosity. The lyrics "Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you" evoke a sense of interconnectedness and mutual care that transcends individual interests and fosters a sense of unity among humanity. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the message that while the dream of a harmonious and equitable world may seem like a distant ideal, it is one worth striving for, as encapsulated in the enduring hope that "some day you'll join us, And the world will be as one."
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine there's no heaven
Picture a world where there is no concept of a paradise after life
It's easy if you try
It becomes simple to envision this idea if you make an effort to do so
No hell below us
There is no place of eternal damnation beneath us
Above us only sky
The only thing above us is the vastness of the sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Envision a world where people focus on living in the present moment
Imagine there's no countries
Imagine a world without borders separating nations
It isn't hard to do
It's not difficult to contemplate this scenario
Nothing to kill or die for
There are no reasons for conflict or sacrifice
And no religion too
And there are no organized beliefs guiding people's lives
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
Visualize every individual peacefully coexisting with one another
You may say I'm a dreamer
Some may label me as someone who has unrealistic hopes for the world
But I'm not the only one
But I am not alone in holding onto these aspirations
I hope some day you'll join us
I wish that at some point, you will share in this dream with us
And the world will be as one
And the entire world will be united as a single entity
Imagine no possessions
Visualize a world where material belongings hold no value
I wonder if you can
I am curious if you are capable of imagining this scenario
No need for greed or hunger
There is no desire for material gain or scarcity of food
A brotherhood of man
A sense of kinship and unity among all humanity
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you
Envision every person collectively owning and caring for the entire world
You may say I'm a dreamer
Some might criticize me for my idealistic outlook
But I'm not the only one
But I am not the sole individual who holds these ideals
I hope some day you'll join us
I hope that eventually, you will be part of this vision
And the world will be as one
And the earth will exist in harmony as a unified whole
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music
Written by: John Winston Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Weapons Education
I'll never get over John Lennon's death.
mark rush
lm 60 ..that monday night is still in my guts.lt will always be there.
Victor Anthony
He had less than 3 months to live during this filming
Bing Bong Studios
@Calvin R pretty impressive for a pile of ashes. Good riddance
Michel Chamberland
@Piano 123 And he's not the only one...
hazzerwill
For anyone interested, in Elton’s autobiography, Elton says there was party after this central park performance and John and Yoko just happened to turn up to it. Although it was the last time Elton ever saw John, it’s nice to think that they did see each other before Johns death
Agus Dayat
9
Karen Macintosh
Yes I did read that.
sole agui
Oh l didn’t know it ! thanks for sharing this interesting information!
Сергей Петров
Смотрел клип , где Йоко и Леннон , белый рояль. Битлз - моя юность. Начало 70-х. Мне уже 66... Но песня " Герзл"... Убийца Леннона горит в аду вечно.