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)
Looking Up
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The script not followed, then was awfully long
Too much pluck, too little of
The acting right, not acting up
I wore the world upon my back
Thought someone else but me, pick up the slack
Just because I could say
Now I'm looking up more than I look down
The view's a whole lot better second time around
Too much of me was hidden in the shadows
I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground
Color a lot with a broader stroke
The laughter comes as easy as the jokes
Nowadays, I'm thinking 'bout
Time is wasted looking back
Now I'm looking up more than I look down
The view's a whole lot better second time around
Too much of me was hidden in the shadows
I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground
You drop a bucket in a well
It's dark and deep down there
Crank the handle, bring it up
The water, crystal clear
I'm looking up more than I look down
The view's a whole lot better second time around
Too much of me was hidden in the shadows
I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground
I'm looking up more than I look down
The view's a whole lot better second time around
Too much of me was hidden in the shadows
I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground
Looking up, looking up
Looking up, looking up
In Elton John's song Looking Up, he sings about reflecting on his mistakes and how he has changed for the better. He admits that he wore the world on his back and didn't give his acting career the attention it deserved. He thought someone else would pick up the slack, but now he knows that it's his life and he needs to take control. He realized that too much of him was hidden in the shadows and decided to color with a broader stroke. This means that he chose to live his life more fully and with more joy, allowing the laughter to come as easily as the jokes.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Looking up more than I look down," which symbolizes his change in outlook on life. He realized that too much time is wasted looking back and that he needs to look forward instead. The view is a whole lot better the second time around, meaning that he has learned from his mistakes and is now able to appreciate life more fully. Elton John uses the metaphor of dropping a bucket into a well to describe his journey. At first, the well is dark and deep, but as he cranks the handle, the water becomes crystal clear. This represents how he has gained clarity and perspective on his life.
Overall, Elton John's message in this song is one of hope and resilience. He acknowledges his mistakes but chooses to focus on the positive instead. He encourages listeners to do the same and look up instead of dwelling in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Figuring out where I went wrong
Trying to identify past mistakes
The script not followed, then was awfully long
Failing to follow the right plan that resulted in a long struggle
Too much pluck, too little of
Having too much confidence, but not enough substance
The acting right, not acting up
Doing the right things instead of causing trouble
I wore the world upon my back
Carrying the weight of the world
Thought someone else but me, pick up the slack
Expecting someone else to do the work
Just because I could say
Thinking one can do anything they want
It's my life, do things my way
Doing things according to one's will
Now I'm looking up more than I look down
Focusing more on the bright side of life
The view's a whole lot better second time around
Seeing things differently after learning from past mistakes
Too much of me was hidden in the shadows
Hiding behind a facade, not expressing oneself fully
I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground
Experiencing joy and elation after changing perspectives
Color a lot with a broader stroke
Expressing oneself more fully and boldly
The laughter comes as easy as the jokes
Learning to enjoy life more and not take things too seriously
Nowadays, I'm thinking 'bout
Focusing on the present moment instead of dwelling on the past
Time is wasted looking back
Reflecting on the past in a negative way and wasting precious time
You drop a bucket in a well
Comparing life to a deep well with hidden treasures
It's dark and deep down there
Highlighting the mysterious and unknown nature of life
Crank the handle, bring it up
Taking action to reveal and enjoy the treasures of life
The water, crystal clear
Experiencing clarity and understanding after effort and struggle
Looking up, looking up
Continuing to focus on positivity and joy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Wisla
I'm 18 years young, and this song is absolutely phenomenal. Going to be one of my favorites for a while!!
James
Feels like the 70's i can just imagine Elton singing this in his youth
Flaviyake
+James Pelletier true
Maria Eduarda Boncoski
Sir Elton John o melhor!!!
Bushwick78
68 years old and still got it!! amazing work!
homer151
oh yes he's still got it
Ryan Hannon
@homer151 its called talent
tgguitarguy
I haven't stopped listening to this for the past 24 hours, this piano riff is extremely catchy.
Scott Leung
Yep, that's my favorite part about it!
Amanda B.
This is a fabulous merger of music and art. Precious Elton. A real joy.