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)
Les Aveux
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'ai la dans mes poings, la force de vivre
Et le filet du temps, n'est que l'ombre qui passe
Et voila le present que je regarde en face
J'ai en moi la vie, j'ai en moi le feu
J'ai en moi la tempete de celui qui veut
J'ai en moi la vie, j'ai en moi le feu
Je suis l'eau qui dort, et le roseau qui plie
J'ai le calme tranquille de la douceur des nuits
J'ai la patience immence et le fil du passé
Et j'ai les mains tendues pour prendre et pour donner
In Les Aveux, Elton John sings about facing the present with strength and determination, despite the passing of time and the storms of life. The first two lines suggest that the singer has the power to face any challenge that comes their way, symbolized by the "force de vivre" (force of life) in their hands. The third line implies that time is fleeting and ephemeral, but the singer is focused on the present moment and looking it squarely in the face.
The second stanza describes the singer's inner fire and storm-like energy, which drive them forward with determination. They see themselves as a force to be reckoned with, yet recognize the importance of partnership and support, as suggested by the phrase "si je sais qu'on est deux" (if I know that we are two). The final stanza juxtaposes the singer's strength and patience with their willingness to give and receive, making them a balanced and compassionate individual. The imagery of water and the reed suggest a sense of flexibility and resilience, while the final line emphasizes the importance of connection and community in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Les grands orages, de venir a moi
I am ready to face any challenges that may come my way
J'ai la dans mes poings, la force de vivre
I hold within me the strength and will to live
Et le filet du temps, n'est que l'ombre qui passe
Time is fleeting and it only leaves a trace
Et voila le present que je regarde en face
I face the present as it comes
J'ai en moi la vie, j'ai en moi le feu
I have life and passion within me
J'ai en moi la tempete de celui qui veut
I have the storm within me of one who desires
J'ai en moi la vie, j'ai en moi le feu
I have life and passion within me
J'ai en moi la tempete, si je sais qu'on est deux
I have the storm within me, but it is calmed when I am with you
Je suis l'eau qui dort, et le roseau qui plie
I am both the still water and the flexible reed
J'ai le calme tranquille de la douceur des nuits
I possess the peaceful calm of gentle nights
J'ai la patience immence et le fil du passé
I have immense patience and carry the weight of my past
Et j'ai les mains tendues pour prendre et pour donner
My hands are open to both receive and give
Contributed by Evelyn O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.....