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)
Lady Samantha
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the evening is still
Lady Samantha glides over the hill
In a long satin dress that she wears every day
Her home is the hillside, her bed is the grave
Lady Samantha glides like a tiger
Over the hills with no one beside her
They all live in fear
But Lady Samantha, she sheds only tears
The tales that I told round the fire every night
Are out of proportion and none of them right
She is harmless and empty of anything bad
For she once had something that most of you have
When we listen to Elton John's "Lady Samantha", we are transported to a mysterious and haunting world. At the outset of the song, the setting is established with the help of harsh winds screaming and the eerie stillness of the evening. And then, we are introduced to the titular character, Lady Samantha. She is a figure of great curiosity, and her appearance is described in detail- she glides over the hills in a satin dress, and it's mentioned that she wears it every day. Her home is the hillside, and she sleeps in a grave.
As the song goes on, we learn more about Lady Samantha's character. She is a solitary figure, as nobody comes near her, and it's noted that people live in fear of her. However, it's mentioned that she cries, which suggests that she isn't a malicious figure, but rather, one who has been shunned by society for some reason.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but it's possible to infer that Lady Samantha is a character who has been ostracized and misunderstood by society. Perhaps she was accused of witchcraft or some other crime, leading people to be afraid of her. Elton John's emotive delivery of the lyrics, along with the haunting melody, perfectly captures the melancholic mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
When the shrill winds are screaming
Lady Samantha appears when nature expresses its fury through violent winds.
And the evening is still
Lady Samantha arrives when the night is silent and somber.
Lady Samantha glides over the hill
Lady Samantha moves smoothly and gracefully on the hilly terrain.
In a long satin dress that she wears every day
Lady Samantha adorns herself in a beautiful, luxurious satin dress that is a part of her daily attire.
Her home is the hillside, her bed is the grave
Lady Samantha's dwelling is the hills, and her permanent resting place is the grave.
Lady Samantha glides like a tiger
Lady Samantha's movement exudes power, grace and ferocity like that of a tiger.
Over the hills with no one beside her
Lady Samantha travels alone, with no one to accompany or assist her.
No one comes near
People are afraid of Lady Samantha and prefer to keep their distance.
They all live in fear
People are fearful of Lady Samantha's mysterious presence and avoid her at all costs.
But Lady Samantha, she sheds only tears
Despite her fearsome reputation, Lady Samantha's only emotion is sadness, and she weeps often.
The tales that I told round the fire every night
The singer used to regale listeners with scary tales around the bonfire every night.
Are out of proportion and none of them right
The stories told about Lady Samantha are exaggerated and untrue.
She is harmless and empty of anything bad
Lady Samantha is not harmful or malevolent in any way.
For she once had something that most of you have
Lady Samantha has experienced a life similar to most people and has nothing unique about her, except her rumored supernatural tendencies.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
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.....