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)
Its 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
The lyrics of “It’s Tough to Be a God” by Elton John with Randy Newman are satirical and express the reluctance of the two performers to be considered gods. They don't feel qualified to be sanctified and claim that being worshiped is not that easy or enjoyable as it may seem. They fear that they will be sacrificed or stuffed if they don’t comply with the locals’ wishes. Despite enjoying the perks of being a god, Elton John feels uncomfortable when religious fanatics tell him he’s all-powerful and sublime. He doesn't want to deceive people and be a subject of devotion when he's lying through his teeth.
The lyrics demonstrate that greatness, power, and fame don't always come easy and that people might have to fake it until they make it. They express a desire for acceptance, but they also understand the danger of being overexposed, especially in the public eye. The verses suggest that people can be happy with their normal life, and they don't need to chase something they aren't qualified for or comfortable with.
Line by Line Meaning
I hardly think I'm qualified
I do not believe I am capable
To come across all sanctified
To act as if I am righteous
I just don't cut it with the cherubim
I do not meet the standards of angels
The town's already on it's knees
The people are already begging and pleading
Being worshiped is a breeze
It is easy to be a god and be worshiped
I barely know the words to any hymn
I am not familiar with religious songs
Listen if we don't comply
Pay attention, if we do not follow
With the locals' wishes
What the people want
I can see is being sacrificed or stuffed
We could be killed or mummified
Let's be gods, the perks are great
We should pretend to be gods because the benefits are fantastic
El Dorado on a plate
Riches, like the city of gold, handed to us
Local feelings should not be rebuffed
We should not ignore what the people want
It's great to be a god
It is wonderful to be worshipped like a god
Tread where mortals have not trod
Go where mere humans cannot go
Be defied when really you're a sham
Receive rebellion though you are a fake
Be an object of devotion
Become something to be worshipped
Be the subject of psalms
Be talked about in religious songs
It's a terrifying notion
The idea is frightening
All those prayers and those salaams
All the acts of religious worship
Any normal man would bridle if he's forced to be an idol
A regular person would be resistant to being worshipped
And a normal man's exactly what I am
I am just a regular man
All the same it's pretty clear
However, it is obvious
The scoundrels don't keep much up here
The greedy people do not share their wealth up here
They must have zillions under lock and key
They must be hoarding a huge amount of wealth
But gods can force then to unleash
As gods, we can make them give it to us
Enough to make us nouveau riche
Enough to make us very wealthy
Beyond our wildest dreams so follow me
More than we could've ever imagined, so listen to me
Can't you see I won't relax
Do you not see that I am uncomfortable
If religious maniacs
If the zealous believers
Tell me I'm all-powerful and sublime
Say that I am almighty and exquisite
How can I be their belief
How can I be what they believe in
When I'm lying through my teeth
When I am not telling the truth
Why don't we just say some other time
We should perhaps refuse and come back another time
But if you get the people's nod
However, if the people agree
Count your blessings, keep them sweet is my advice
Appreciate what you have and make them happy is what I recommend
Be nirvana, be salvation
Be the way to heaven, be the rescue
Be all things to all men
Be everything to everyone
Butter up your congregation
Flatter and make your worshippers happy
Every Sunday score a ten
Do everything perfectly
The alternative is dire
The other choice is terrible
Simply frying pan to fire
Jumping from the frying pan into the fire
So sign on two new gods for paradise
We should choose two more people to help us become gods and achieve 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.....