Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, John is one of the most successful artists of all time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide in a seven-decade career in music. He is acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, and his lasting impact on the music industry. John's music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

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 Summertime
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the summertime when the weather is high
You can stretch right up and touch the sky
When the weather's fine
You got women, you got women on your mind
Have a drink, have a draft
Go out and see what you can find

If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal

If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel
Speed along the lane, do a __
When the sun goes down, you can make it, make it good and then they buy

We're not __ people, we're not dirty __
We love everybody, but we do as we please
When the weather's fine, we go fishing or go swimming in the sea
We're always happy, __ yeah that's our philosophy

Sing along with us, de de de-de-dee
Da da da-da-da, yeah we're hap-happy
Da da da-da-da-da-da da da-da da
Da da da-da-da-da-da da da-da da

When the winter's here, yeah it's party time
Bring you bottle, __ it'll soon be summertime

And we'll sing again, __ settle down
If she's rich, if she's nice, bring your friends and we'll all go into town

Overall Meaning

Elton John's song "In The Summertime" is all about enjoying life to the fullest during summertime. The song reflects on the feeling of freedom that one experiences during summers regardless of their social status. When the sun is high, one can let go of their worries and "stretch right up and touch the sky". The lyrics suggest that having women on your mind, having a drink or a draft, and going out to see what you can find is what people do to enjoy the season.

The lyrics further suggest that people should not judge others based on their social standing. If a girl's daddy is rich, one should take her out for a meal, but if he is poor, do what you feel. The song emphasises the need to enjoy life and not worry about people judging one's actions. The chorus is a call to happiness, promising to be happy regardless of their social status or what others think of them.

Overall, "In the Summertime" celebrates the feeling of freedom and the enjoyment of life during summers. The lyrics speak of doing what you feel, not judging people based on their social status, and being happy with what you have.

Line by Line Meaning

In the summertime when the weather is high
When it is summer and the weather is good

You can stretch right up and touch the sky
You feel free and limitless during summer

When the weather's fine
When the weather is good

You got women, you got women on your mind
You are thinking and attracted towards women

Have a drink, have a draft
Having a drink or beer

Go out and see what you can find
Exploring the world and experiencing new things

If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal
If the girl is from a wealthy family, treat her to a nice dinner

If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel
If the girl is from a poor family, do what you want

Speed along the lane, do a ___
Drive fast and do something exciting

When the sun goes down, you can make it, make it good and then they buy
Make the most of the night time, and then they will want to join you

We're not ____ people, we're not dirty ____
We are not judgmental or unclean people

We love everybody, but we do as we please
We enjoy ourselves and live our own lives but still love everyone

When the weather's fine, we go fishing or go swimming in the sea
When the weather's nice, we like to go fishing or swimming in the ocean

We're always happy, ___ yeah that's our philosophy
We have a positive attitude and outlook on life

Sing along with us, de de de-de-dee
Sing with us using this melody

Da da da-da-da, yeah we're hap-happy
We are very happy

Da da da-da-da-da-da da da-da da
Part of the song's melody

When the winter's here, yeah it's party time
During the winter, we like to party

Bring you bottle, ____ it'll soon be summertime
Bring your alcohol and wait for summer to return

And we'll sing again, ____ settle down
We'll sing again when we settle down

If she's rich, if she's nice, bring your friends and we'll all go into town
If the girl is rich and nice, bring your friends and let's all go into town

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, CTM Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Dorset

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS