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)
Into The Old Man
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm tired of people talking of things that I lack
Ever since a week ago, the day he passed away
I've been taking too much notice of the things they've had to say
And all they say is you ain't half the man he used to be
He had strength and he worked his life to feed his family
So if that's the way it has to be, I'll say goodbye to you
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord
They seem to think I should step into the old man's shoes
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord
They seem to think I should step into the old man's shoes
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord
They seem to think I should step into the old man's shoes
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord
They seem to think I should step into the old man's shoes
I said, like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
In Elton John's "Man," the singer is moving out of Tombstone, hoping to escape the judgment and criticism of the town. He is tired of hearing people talk about his lack of strength and how he fails to measure up to his father. The singer's father has recently passed away, and he feels the weight of others' expectations to fill his shoes. However, he believes that he cannot live up to his father's reputation and legacy. The town's people view the singer as a wicked and wayward soul who needs to be tamed, and they would like to see him locked up in jail. The singer finds himself at a crossroads, feeling the pressure and expectations of others to take up his father's mantle when he knows it is not the right path for him.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm moving out of Tombstone, yeah with the sun behind my back
I'm leaving this place behind with a new start, hoping that better things lie ahead, leaving all the negativity behind.
I'm tired of people talking of things that I lack
I'm sick and tired of people criticizing me for what I don't have, criticizing me for what I'm not.
Ever since a week ago, the day he passed away
Things have changed completely since he passed away. Life has become different, perhaps more challenging.
I've been taking too much notice of the things they've had to say
I'm paying too much attention to what people are saying, and it's affecting me negatively.
And all they say is you ain't half the man he used to be
People are constantly comparing me to the person who has passed away and feeling like I don't measure up to their expectations.
He had strength and he worked his life to feed his family
The person who has passed away was someone who was strong and worked hard to provide for the family.
So if that's the way it has to be, I'll say goodbye to you
If this is the only way they can accept me, I will have to leave and bid farewell to them.
I'm not the guy, or so it seems to fill my old man's shoes
I feel like I'm not the person who can fill my father's shoes, be the type of man he was in his life.
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
People would like to see me fail, perhaps see me in trouble, making mistakes, not moving forward with my life.
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord
It's difficult to understand what they want from me, what my role should be, and how I should live my life.
They seem to think I should step into the old man's shoes
People are pushing me to be someone I'm not, to be in the shoes of my father, to live my life the way he did.
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
People see me as someone who has a bad lifestyle, perhaps someone who needs to be corrected or corrected into their ways.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heuri Stik
And all they say is you ain't half the man he used to be
He had strength and he worked his life to feed his family
So if that's the way it has to be, I'll say goodbye to you
I'm not the guy, or so it seems to fill my old man's shoes
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord !!!
Tumbleweed Connection the best sound when I was fourteen, yes absolutly !!!
Bill Pierce
This is a fantastic song. Brings a bit of a tear. Thank you, Elton. Thank you, Bernie.
Thomas Kwiatkowski, Esq.
There are many mysteries in life, but none greater why a song this good was not included on the original album.
Mattia Dell'Amico
@mizofan Maybe Love song, I think this is much better; because you can feel that Bernie didn’t written the lyrics.
mizofan
10 other superb songs, hard to leave any out
Bob Whitworth
I think it was just the number of great songs recorded for this album, and the space limitations of LPs at that time. You are spot-on: this is a fabulous track and perfect for Tumbleweed Connection.
Ennio Guido Schiavon
What a great Song! Always loved it!
revrondog
What an amazing song!!!
Heuri Stik
And all they say is you ain't half the man he used to be
He had strength and he worked his life to feed his family
So if that's the way it has to be, I'll say goodbye to you
I'm not the guy, or so it seems to fill my old man's shoes
Like I'm a wicked way of life, the kind that should be tamed
They'd like to see me locked in jail and tied up in their chains
Oh it's hard and I can't see what they want me to do Lord, Lord !!!
Tumbleweed Connection the best sound when I was fourteen, yes absolutly !!!
Robert Bermudez
bERNIE WAS A POET NO DOUBT AS WELL
Bob Whitworth
Not included on Tumbleweed Connection when first released; possibly, due to space limitations on the LP. However, it was recorded specifically for that album and thanks to technology this great song is back where it has always belonged.