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)
Mansfield
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ten years back on the hands of the clock
In that little house on Mansfield
On your old block
Sometimes the magic of the past is all we've got
Just you and me at a crossroads then
Ain't it funny how we were old friends
Did we intend
To be the romantic novel you never want to end
And it's the contact of the eye that meets across a crowded room
And how I kind of wound up the lyrics to your tune
You said, 'Funny but it feels like I've known you all my life
And how it might feel to kiss you on the mouth tonight'
In between the Star of David and the California moon
The Santa Ana winds blew warm into your room
We were crazy, wild and running
Blind to the change to come
In that little house on Mansfield
We'd wake at the break of dawn
In an Indian summer gone
In the candlelight I can recall
Your naked shadow looking ten feet tall
Like a wild pony dancing
Along the wall
Off balance I found love the only place to fall
The lyrics to Elton John's song "Mansfield" are reflective of a nostalgic love story. It speaks of a lost paradise and a moment in time that has been etched in memory. It is the recollection of a point when two people were at a crossroads and ended up in a place where they never expected to be.
The song speaks of the magic of the past and how it is sometimes all we have. The lyrics transport the audience to a little house on Mansfield, where the two characters shared an Indian summer of love, unaware of the change that was to come. The song talks about how sometimes the most profound feelings can come from accidentally being thrown together.
The line, "Blind to the change to come" reinforces the theme of the transience of human affairs, and how we often romanticize our past experiences. The lyrics also speak about how the meeting of the eyes across a crowded room kindled the creative spark for the words of the song. The vivid imagery of the Santa Ana winds blowing warm into the room, between the Star of David and the Californian moon, paints a captivating picture of a moment lost to time.
Elton John's "Mansfield" is a song of heartwarming nostalgia, of a love story that, although brief, was significant. It encapsulates the power of reminiscence, the beauty of human endeavors, and the fleeting nature of human affairs.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a case I guess of paradise lost
Remembering something from the past that has been lost, like paradise.
Ten years back on the hands of the clock
Referring to a time ten years ago.
In that little house on Mansfield
Describing a specific location where something significant took place.
On your old block
In the area where you used to live.
Sometimes the magic of the past is all we've got
Reflecting on how the memories of the past help us feel good even if the moment has passed.
Just you and me at a crossroads then
Two people facing an important decision or moment in their lives.
Ain't it funny how we were old friends
Remarkable how two people who have just met each other can feel like they've known each other for a long time.
Accidentally thrown together
Meeting randomly or by chance.
Did we intend
Questioning whether they planned or intended to meet each other.
To be the romantic novel you never want to end
As if they were in a romantic story that they never want to end.
And it's the contact of the eye that meets across a crowded room
Describing the moment when two people make eye contact in a crowded place, suggesting that they are meant to meet.
And how I kind of wound up the lyrics to your tune
Referencing the feeling of being drawn to someone and coming up with lyrics (or words) to impress that person.
You said, 'Funny but it feels like I've known you all my life
Commenting on how natural and comfortable they feel with each other despite just meeting.
And how it might feel to kiss you on the mouth tonight'
Wondering how it would feel to be intimate with that person.
In between the Star of David and the California moon
Referring to two different cultures, Jewish and Californian, and how they are connected in some way.
The Santa Ana winds blew warm into your room
Describing the warm wind blowing into the room where they are together, indicating that something significant or passionate is about to happen.
We were crazy, wild and running
Acting passionately and recklessly, like they were running towards something rather than thinking things through.
Blind to the change to come
Not aware of the changes that will happen in the future.
In an Indian summer gone
Describing the end of a warm summer season, suggesting that their time together is coming to a close.
In the candlelight I can recall
Remembering something that happened in a romantic setting.
Your naked shadow looking ten feet tall
Describing a shadow that appears larger than life, as if it represents something greater than the person themselves.
Like a wild pony dancing
Comparing the shadow to a wild and free creature.
Along the wall
Detailing where the shadow appeared.
Off balance I found love the only place to fall
When feeling unsteady or unsure, love was the only thing they felt certain about.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD J.P. TAUPIN, 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.....