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)
Indian Sunset
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the smell of wood smoke clinging
Like a gentle cobweb hanging
Upon a painted tepee
Oh, I went to see my chieftain
With my war lance and my woman
For he told us that the yellow moon
Would very soon be leaving
This I can't believe I said
I can't believe our Warlord's dead
Oh, he would not leave the chosen ones
To the buzzards and the soldiers guns
Oh, great father of the Iroquois
Ever since I was young
I've read the writing of the smoke
And breast-fed on the sound of drums
I've learned to hurl the tomahawk
And ride a painted pony wild
To run the gauntlet of the Sioux
To make a chieftain's daughter mine
And now you ask that I should watch
The red man's race be slowly crushed
What kind of words are these to hear
From Yellow Dog, whom a white man fears?
Oh, I take only what is mine, Lord
My pony, my squaw, and my child
I can't stay to see you die
Along with my tribe's pride
I go to search for the yellow moon
And the fathers of our sons
Where the red sun sinks in the hills of gold
And the healing waters run
Trampling down the prairie rose
Leaving hoof tracks in the sand
Those who wish to follow me
I welcome with my hands
I heard from passing renegades
Geronimo was dead
He'd been laying down his weapons
When they filled him full of lead
Now there seems no reason why
I should carry on
In this land that once was my land
I can't find a home
It's lonely and it's quiet
And the horse soldiers are coming
And I think it's time I strung my bow
And ceased my senseless running
For soon I'll find the yellow moon
Along with my loved ones
Where the buffaloes graze in clover fields
Without the sound of guns
And the red sun sinks at last
Into the hills of gold
And peace to this young warrior
Comes with a bullet hole
"Indian Sunset" is a song by Elton John, and the lyrics describe the plight of Native Americans. The song begins with the singer awakening to the smell of wood smoke and setting out to see his tribal leader. The tribal leader tells him that the yellow moon will soon be leaving, leaving him and his tribe vulnerable. The singer can't believe his warlord is dead and that he wouldn't leave the chosen ones to the birds and soldiers' guns.
The second verse describes the singer's deep connection to his Indigenous roots. He learned how to ride a painted pony and throw the tomahawk when he was a child. But in juxtaposition to his heritage, he hears worries and concern from the tribe leader about the "red man's race" and how they will be crushed slowly. The singer takes what is his and sets out to find the yellow moon, the fathers of their sons, and the healing waters where the red sun sets in the hills of gold.
The final verse shows the singer's resolve to flee and do the senseless running. He is lonely and quiet, with the horse soldiers coming. The once hospitable land is no longer a place of refuge or comfort. He, therefore, decides to stop running and accept his fate, where peace comes with a bullet hole.
Line by Line Meaning
As I awoke this evening with the smell of wood smoke clinging
I woke up to the smell of smoke and felt like I was in a tepee.
Like a gentle cobweb hanging upon a painted tepee
The smoke is light and delicate and it is hanging in the tepee.
Oh I went to see my chieftain with my warlance and my woman
I went to see our chief with my spear and my wife.
For he told us that the yellow moon would very soon be leaving
The chief told us that the moon was going away soon.
This I can't believe I said, I can't believe our warlord's dead
I can't believe our chief is dead.
Oh he would not leave the chosen ones to the buzzards and the soldiers guns
Our chief would not let us be killed and eaten by opportunistic birds and soldiers.
Oh great father of the Iroquois ever since I was young
I have always respected and honored the ancestors of the Iroquois people.
I've read the writing of the smoke and breast fed on the sound of drums
I have always paid close attention to the spiritual messages conveyed through smoke signals and the sound of drums.
I've learned to hurl the tomahawk and ride a painted pony wild
I have trained in the art of throwing a tomahawk and riding a horse with elaborate designs.
To run the gauntlet of the Sioux, to make a chieftain's daughter mine
I have endured difficult trials among the Sioux people in order to win the hand of a chief's daughter.
And now you ask that I should watch
Now you want me to just sit here and watch.
The red man's race be slowly crushed
Our people are being systematically destroyed.
What kind of words are these to hear
These are not the words that we want to hear.
From Yellow Dog whom white man fears
These words are coming from someone who is called a coward by the white man.
I take only what is mine Lord, my pony, my squaw, and my child
I am only taking what is rightfully mine: my horse, my wife, and my child.
I can't stay to see you die, along with my tribe's pride
I can't bear to watch you die along with our people's dignity.
I go to search for the yellow moon and the fathers of our sons
I am going in search of the moon and the fathers of our children.
Where the red sun sinks in the hills of gold and the healing waters run
I am looking for a place where the sun sets on hills made of gold and where there are streams that can heal.
Trampling down the prairie rose, leaving hoof tracks in the sand
We are leaving a mark on this land that we have walked on and cut through.
Those who wish to follow me, I welcome with my hands
Anyone who wants to come with me is more than welcome.
I heard from passing renegades Geronimo was dead
I heard from people who are not loyal to our tribe that Geronimo has died.
He'd been laying down his weapons when they filled him full of lead
He was surrendering when they shot him.
Now there seems no reason why I should carry on
There seems to be no reason for me to keep going.
In this land that once was my land I can't find a home
In this land that once belonged to us, I cannot find a place to call home.
It's lonely and it's quiet and the horse soldiers are coming
It's silent and lonesome, and I can hear the horse soldiers are on their way.
And I think it's time I strung my bow and ceased my senseless running
I think it's time for me to brace myself and stop running.
For soon I'll find the yellow moon along with my loved ones
I will soon find the moon and my loved ones.
Where the buffaloes graze in clover fields without the sound of guns
Where the buffalo roam and graze in a safe, natural environment.
And the red sun sinks at last into the hills of gold
The sun is finally setting on the hills made of gold.
And peace to this young warrior comes with a bullet hole
This young warrior has found peace in death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernie Taupin, Elton John
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@goodvybz1246
2Pac brought me here many years later. Better late than never, to appreciate such a beautiful song.
@aleco678
Eminem produced that song (ghetto gospel) I just read that on another video crazy
@thepromiseman7745
@PeanutIF does anyone know what sample of the song used in Tupac song called Ghetto star
@juluchigali2706
Same here 🖐
@benmoon4414
Ghetto gospel, what a song only just realised elton was involved, blew my mind
@mrltattoos1207
Samee
@xxxghost1320
Probably his most under appreciated song
@beachgirl4583
sigve borgan,
This is the first time I’ve seen “under appreciated song (band/musician)” aptly used.
@jimcricket285
I read that so often on YT, how this and that song is under appreciated. We're listening to it right, a song almost half a century old, so it can not be that under appreciated.
@WJPindar
fourth-most under-appreciated, after Levon and empty garden and Val Halla