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)
In The Hands Of Angels
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could have died
I could have given up
And not tried
To make it to tomorrow
Like a brokenhearted lover
But there was a brand new start
New and faraway places
And the music I was shaken
It was a whole new race
When I woke on that first day
There was nothing I could say
I was in the hands of angels
Johnny and the governor
Came and brought me to my senses
They made me feel just like a king
Made me lose all my bad defenses
And they knew all the places
I needed to go
All of the people
I needed to know
They knew who I needed
And who needed me
And who would come help me
And who would just let me be
I was in the hands of angels
Until this very day
Inside the hands of angels
What more can I say
When you're in the hands of angels
Life is oh so sweet
And you feel the love
Down deep inside
Even out there on the street
In the hands of angels
The song "In The Hands of Angels" by Elton John and Leon Russell talks about a person who almost gave up on life, but decides to make it to tomorrow. The lyrics suggest that there was a moment of sudden realization that led to a brand new start, taking the person to new and faraway places. The music becomes an inspiration and helps to renew a lost hope. The song's title references the state of being in the hands of Johnny and the governor, who guide the person and bring them to their senses, making them feel like a king and helping to lose their defenses. The lyrics also suggest that the angels knew who the person needed to meet, where they needed to go, and who would help them, highlighting the significance of having good people around during trying times.
The main theme of this song is hope and the idea that sometimes, help can come from unexpected places, giving birth to a whole new race. The angels in this song are metaphors for people who help us during difficult times. These people can be our friends, family, or even strangers who help guide us in the right direction, and bring positivity into our lives. The lyrics are both uplifting and inspiring, reminding the listener that we all have the power to overcome difficult times, and that help is always available if we look for it.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I could have been sick
I was close to being physically and mentally broken
I could have died
I was on the brink of death
I could have given up
I was considering giving up trying to keep going
And not tried
I thought about not attempting to keep living
To make it to tomorrow
I was struggling just to make it to the next day
Like a brokenhearted lover
I was feeling hopeless and heartbroken
But there was a brand new start
I was given a fresh beginning
And suddenly I was taken
I was swept up and carried away
New and faraway places
I found myself in unfamiliar and distant locations
And the music I was shaken
The powerful music I heard greatly impacted me
It was a whole new race
Life became an entirely new and different kind of journey
When I woke on that first day
After the new beginning, on the first day, I came to my senses
There was nothing I could say
I was speechless in awe of my situation
I was in the hands of angels
I felt like I was in the care of divine beings
Johnny and the governor
I was helped by two outstanding and influential personalities
Came and brought me to my senses
They helped me come to an understanding of my circumstances
They made me feel just like a king
I was treated with great dignity and respect
Made me lose all my bad defenses
They helped me overcome my negative ways of thinking and acting
And they knew all the places
They had the knowledge of the locations I needed to be
I needed to go
They led me to places that were important for my growth
All of the people
The people that were significant to my life
I needed to know
Those individuals that would play a crucial role in shaping me and my experiences
They knew who I needed
Johnny and the governor knew the people I needed in my life
And who needed me
They also knew the people that would benefit from my presence
And who would come help me
They knew the individuals that would be there to support me
And who would just let me be
They knew the people that would respect my need for solitude
I was in the hands of angels
I felt that I was still being guided by divine beings
Until this very day
Even now, I still feel their influence
Inside the hands of angels
I still feel like I am under their guidance
What more can I say
Words are not enough to express my gratitude and appreciation
When you're in the hands of angels
Being under divine care means feeling safe and secure
Life is oh so sweet
Life feels beautiful, and everything is enjoyable
And you feel the love
Love is felt in a deep and profound way
Down deep inside
This love penetrates to the core
Even out there on the street
Even in daily life, love is still felt very tangibly
In the hands of angels
All these beautiful things are possible through the guidance of divine beings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEON RUSSELL
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.....