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)
Lies
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some lie about the truth
Some lie to save their lives
Some lie about their youth
Some lie about age and beauty
The conquest of sex
Most lie about the night before
I've lied for a stolen moment
I've lied for one more clue
I've lied about most everything
But I never lied to you
And we lie, lie, lie on a streetcar named desire
Oh we lie, lie, lie for that sweet bird of youth
I could be great like Tennessee Williams
If I could only hear something that sounds like the truth
Some lie in the face of death
Some lie about their fame
Some kneel and lie to God
Some lie about their name
Some lie in words and speeches
With every living breath
The young lie with their guitars
The old lie for a little respect
I've lied to lie with danger
I've lied for a drug or two
I've lied about most everything
But I never lied to you
And we lie, lie, lie on a streetcar named desire
Oh we lie, lie, lie for that sweet bird of youth
I could be great like Tennessee Williams
If I could only hear something that sounds like the truth
I've lied for a stolen moment
I've lied for one more clue
I've lied about most everything
But I never lied to you
And we lie, lie, lie on a streetcar named desire
Oh we lie, lie, lie for that sweet bird of youth
I could be great like Tennessee Williams
If I could only hear something that sounds like the truth
Elton John's "Lies" speaks to the societal and personal ways in which people lie. For some, lies are a means of self-preservation or personal gain, while for others, they may have trouble telling the truth. The song recognizes the different motivations behind lying and acknowledges that while it may be a common practice, it's important to remain truthful in some relationships. The chorus, "And we lie, lie, lie on a streetcar named desire / Oh we lie, lie, lie for that sweet bird of youth / I could be great like Tennessee Williams / If I could only hear something that sounds like the truth," implies that the need to lie comes from a desire to be seen as great or successful, but that the truth is the path to that greatness.
The first couplet acknowledges that people often lie about their relationships or love interests, while the second couplet is about lying about more objective facts. The third couplet acknowledges that lying is sometimes done in order to stay alive, like when people lie to keep themselves safe from danger. The fourth couplet is about lies people tell to make themselves seem younger or more attractive, while the fifth couplet is about the lies people tell to conceal their sexual partners. The sixth suggests that the vast majority of people lie about their previous night's activities, and the seventh couplet is about women lying to justify buying new clothes.
The second verse starts with lies told in the face of death, which could be seen as a way of asserting control over one's own mortality. The second couplet is about people lying to give the impression that they're more important than they really are. The third couplet alludes to religious figures that may use lies to engender faith or gain followers, while the fourth notes that some people lie about their identities. The fifth couplet is more general and suggests that people lie all the time, and the final couplet takes the song back to the concept of lying as a means of achieving personal fulfilment.
Line by Line Meaning
Some lie about who they love
Some people are ashamed to reveal who they truly love and thus fabricate stories.
Some lie about the truth
Some people twist the truth or present lies as facts to suit their purpose.
Some lie to save their lives
Some people resort to lies to protect themselves from physical harm or danger.
Some lie about their youth
Some people are insecure about their age and pretend to be younger than they actually are.
Some lie about age and beauty
Some people try to hide their age and flaws by lying about their appearance.
The conquest of sex
Many people use sex to manipulate, impress, or gain power over others.
Most lie about the night before
Many people tell lies to cover up their mistakes or bad decisions from the previous night.
A woman lies for a party dress
Some women may lie to their partners or friends to get a special dress or outfit for a social event.
I've lied for a stolen moment
Sometimes telling a lie may seem worth it for a brief moment of pleasure or excitement.
I've lied for one more clue
Telling lies may help some people gather more information or insight into a situation.
But I never lied to you
The singer may have told lies in the past, but they have always been truthful to the person they are addressing now.
And we lie, lie, lie on a streetcar named desire
The reference to Tennessee Williams' play, A Streetcar Named Desire, suggests that people often pursue their desires at the cost of honesty and truthfulness.
Oh we lie, lie, lie for that sweet bird of youth
Many people are willing to tell lies to maintain their youthful appearance or demeanor, which they associate with freedom and happiness.
If I could only hear something that sounds like the truth
The singer yearns for honesty and authenticity in a world that is full of lies and deceptions.
Some lie about their fame
Some people pretend to be more famous or accomplished than they actually are to impress or gain favor from others.
Some kneel and lie to God
Some people may falsely profess their faith to God, or use religion as a tool to justify their lies.
Some lie in words and speeches
Politicians and public figures often use rhetoric and falsehoods to sway public opinion or gain power.
The young lie with their guitars
Young musicians may fabricate stories or exaggerate their past experiences in their songs to make them more interesting or relatable.
The old lie for a little respect
Elderly people may stretch the truth or tell white lies to garner respect and admiration from others.
I've lied to lie with danger
Some people may deliberately expose themselves to danger or risk by telling lies, perhaps to impress or prove something to themselves or others.
I've lied for a drug or two
Some people may lie to their loved ones or authorities to conceal their drug addiction or substance abuse.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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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.....