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)
It's Tough to Be a God
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To come across all sanctified
I just don't cut it with the cherubim
The town's already on it's knees
Being worshiped is a breeze
I barely know the words to any hymn
Listen if we don't comply
I can see is being sacrificed or stuffed
Let's be gods, the perks are great
El Dorado on a plate
Local feelings should not be rebuffed
It's great to be a god
Tread where mortals have not trod
Be defied when really you're a sham
Be an object of devotion
Be the subject of psalms
It's a terrifying notion
All those prayers and those salaams
Any normal man would bridle if he's forced to be an idol
And a normal man's exactly what I am
All the same it's pretty clear
The scoundrels don't keep much up here
They must have zillions under lock and key
But gods can force then to unleash
Enough to make us nouveau riche
Beyond our wildest dreams so follow me
Can't you see I won't relax
If religious maniacs
Tell me I'm all-powerful and sublime
How can I be their belief
When I'm lying through my teeth
Why don't we just say some other time
It's tough to be a god
But if you get the people's nod
Count your blessings, keep them sweet is my advice
Be nirvana, be salvation
Be all things to all men
Butter up your congregation
Every Sunday score a ten
The alternative is dire
Simply frying pan to fire
So sign on two new gods for paradise
Elton John's song "It's Tough to Be a God" is a satirical take on religion and the power and responsibility that come with it. The song's speaker, who may or may not be Elton John himself, sings about how difficult it is to be a god and how little he feels qualified to do the job. He says that being worshiped is "a breeze," but he barely knows the words to any hymn, and he fears being sacrificed or stuffed if he doesn't comply with the locals' wishes.
Despite these reservations, the singer urges his listeners to become gods with him, citing the perks of being worshiped and of having access to the riches that the scoundrels keep under lock and key. He acknowledges that it's tough to be a god, but he advises his fellow gods to count their blessings, keep their followers sweet, and be all things to all men. He also hints that the alternative to being a god is dire, with the choice being either to fry in a pan or to sign on two new gods for paradise.
Overall, "It's Tough to Be a God" is full of sarcasm and irony, and it suggests that religion is an imperfect human creation that can be manipulated for personal gain. It implies that being a god is more about perception than reality, and that the power and responsibility that come with it can be both overwhelming and trivial.
Line by Line Meaning
I hardly think I'm qualified
I don't think I'm skilled enough
To come across all sanctified
To present myself as pure and holy
I just don't cut it with the cherubim
I'm not adequate enough for the angels
The town's already on it's knees
The town is already begging for help
Being worshiped is a breeze
Being a god comes naturally
I barely know the words to any hymn
I hardly know any religious song
Listen if we don't comply
Let's listen and obey
With the locals' wishes
With the wishes of the people
I can see is being sacrificed or stuffed
I foresee being killed or stuffed if we don't follow their wishes
Let's be gods, the perks are great
Becoming gods has great benefits
El Dorado on a plate
We'll have everything we could ever want
Local feelings should not be rebuffed
We should not ignore the thoughts and feelings of the people
It's great to be a god
Being a god is wonderful
Tread where mortals have not trod
Do things that humans have not done
Be defied when really you're a sham
Be challenged even though we're not genuine
Be an object of devotion
Be the focus of people's worship
Be the subject of psalms
Be the inspiration for religious songs
It's a terrifying notion
Thinking about it is scary
All those prayers and those salaams
All those religious genuflections and salutations
Any normal man would bridle if he's forced to be an idol
Any regular person would feel irritated if they were forced to become an idol
And a normal man's exactly what I am
I'm just an ordinary man
All the same it's pretty clear
Nevertheless, it's quite apparent
The scoundrels don't keep much up here
The wicked ones don't retain much wealth here
They must have zillions under lock and key
They're probably hiding a lot of riches somewhere
But gods can force then to unleash
But as gods, we can make them give up their riches
Enough to make us nouveau riche
Enough to make us very wealthy
Beyond our wildest dreams so follow me
More than we could ever imagine, so let's do it
Can't you see I won't relax
Can't you see that I can't calm down
If religious maniacs
If crazy religious people
Tell me I'm all-powerful and sublime
Say that I'm all-mighty and superior
How can I be their belief
How can I be what they believe in
When I'm lying through my teeth
When I'm completely lying
Why don't we just say some other time
Let's just do it some other time
It's tough to be a god
Being a god is difficult
But if you get the people's nod
But if people approve of us
Count your blessings, keep them sweet is my advice
Appreciate what we have and stay on their good side
Be nirvana, be salvation
Be the ultimate path to enlightenment and salvation
Be all things to all men
Be what everyone wants and needs
Butter up your congregation
Flatter and appease your followers
Every Sunday score a ten
Make every Sunday service perfect
The alternative is dire
The other option is terrible
Simply frying pan to fire
Trading one problem for something worse
So sign on two new gods for paradise
Let's find two other gods to join us in creating paradise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, TIM RICE
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.....