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)
Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yell help, if your mirror busts and your cat gets cussed, yell help
Cause down the road you find someone else who's looking
Down the road you find another sweet lady cooking
So I gotta yell help
Yell help, some shelter from the storm like the travel agent warned
Yell help, if you can help your superstitions they gonna keep you warm
Down the road you seen another sweet lady cooking
So I gotta yell help
I wish tonight wasn't Wednesday night
I wish it wasn't the thirteenth of July, yell help
And you're looking at the guy whose eyes can't deny
That he wishes he were somewhere else tonight
Well I met this woman down in New Orleans
Lord she built just like a dream
Even wore stockings that had seams
And she was ugly
Now hell I don't mind women of her kind
I'll even pay sometimes for a woman that's ugly
She built like a steamroller
Just the kind to mow you over anytime
Hey the moment might arrive
On Bourbon Street
Well the ugliest woman you'll ever meet
But she's mine all mine and she's ugly
So I better yell help
The song "Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly" is a fusion of three different pieces. The first verse, "Yell Help," is a cry for help from a person overwhelmed with life's daily struggles. The lyrics suggest that sometimes we need help to overcome difficult or challenging situations, and sometimes we need help to move on from them. The second verse, "Wednesday Night," expresses the boredom and loneliness of the singer who longs for the weekend. He wishes to escape his mundane reality and do something more exciting. The final verse, "Ugly," is a rather comedic story about a man who meets an unattractive woman and decides to pursue her anyway. The entire song is a blend of humor and melancholy, expressing the complexities of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Yell help, too many cooks and a bird in the bush, yell help
I need some help as I'm struggling with too many options and opportunities, with no clear path to success
Yell help, if your mirror busts and your cat gets cussed, yell help
I need some help when things go wrong, to lift me up and comfort me when I'm down
Cause down the road you find someone else who's looking
If I fail to find what I'm looking for, there are always other opportunities waiting for me in the future
Down the road you find another sweet lady cooking
There are always other people who can offer me love and companionship in the future
So I gotta yell help
So I need to call out for help before it's too late
Yell help, some shelter from the storm like the travel agent warned
I need some help to find protection from the troubles and challenges that are coming my way
Yell help, if you can help your superstitions they gonna keep you warm
I need some help to overcome my irrational fears and beliefs, which are holding me back from achieving my goals
I wish tonight wasn't Wednesday night
I really wish I could escape my current situation, which is making me unhappy and unfulfilled
I wish it wasn't the thirteenth of July, yell help
I really need some help and support to get through this difficult and unlucky time
And you're looking at the guy whose eyes can't deny
I can't hide my true feelings, which are telling me to get out of this situation and find something better
That he wishes he were somewhere else tonight
I really wish I could be somewhere else, doing something else, with someone else
Well I met this woman down in New Orleans
I had an encounter with a woman in New Orleans
Lord she built just like a dream
She had an amazing body, which was very attractive to me
Even wore stockings that had seams
She had a great fashion sense, which made her even more attractive to me
And she was ugly
Despite her physical attributes, she was ugly in some other way
Now hell I don't mind women of her kind
I don't mind women who are not conventionally attractive, as long as they have something else to offer
I'll even pay sometimes for a woman that's ugly
I would even pay for the company of someone who is not conventionally attractive, if they have something else to offer
She built like a steamroller
She had a powerful and imposing figure, which made her stand out
Just the kind to mow you over anytime
She had a dominant presence, which could be intimidating or overwhelming at times
Hey the moment might arrive
There might be a time and a place where I would want to be with her, despite her unattractive qualities
On Bourbon Street
In the lively and colorful area of New Orleans known for its nightlife and festivities
Well the ugliest woman you'll ever meet
There was someone else in Bourbon Street who was even less attractive than the woman I met before
But she's mine all mine and she's ugly
Despite her physical appearance, I have a special connection with her and want to be with her
So I better yell help
So I need to ask for help and support from my friends and loved ones, as they might not approve of my choices and actions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, DAVEY JOHNSTONE, 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.....