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)
My Elusive Drug
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the things you've heard seem hard to believe
Haven't always been good, never really been bad
Most times I've been happy, yea sometimes I've been sad
Sure I've made mistakes, haven't we all
I've been loose as a cannon and dumb as a wall
Haven't always been sober in counting my ducks
But the change didn't come over night
I've been searching for you all my life
All the habits that I couldn't handle
I've swept them under the rug
In exchange for the sweetest addiction
You, my elusive drug
I'm going to stay now, I really like it here
I may paint your picture, and I might grow a beard
There were times I was crazy couldn't handle my life
Don't think you'd have liked me not at any old price
But the change didn't come over night
I've been searching for you all my life
All the habits that I couldn't handle
I've swept them under the rug
In exchange for the sweetest addiction
You, my elusive drug
And I've taken the pills
I got burnt out and chilled by the cold
But I've no regrets and that being said
You know cheap thrills can get pretty old
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah
But the change didn't come over night
I've been searching for you all my life
All the habits that I couldn't handle
I've swept them under the rug
In exchange for the sweetest addiction
You, my elusive drug
In exchange for the sweetest addiction
You, my elusive drug
In the song My Elusive Drug, Elton John sings about how meeting this special someone has changed his life for the better. He acknowledges that he’s made mistakes in his past but he’s learned from them and he’s finally found someone who meant enough to him to make the changes he needed to. Elton sings, “But the change didn’t come overnight, I’ve been searching for you all my life/All the habits that I couldn’t handle, I’ve swept them under the rug/In exchange for the sweetest addiction, you, my elusive drug.” This is a powerful metaphor that emphasizes how much this person means to Elton.
The song also reflects on Elton’s past experiences with drugs and addiction. He sings about taking pills and feeling burnt out and chilled by the cold. He mentions that he has no regrets but acknowledges that cheap thrills can get pretty old. This could be interpreted as a warning to others who may be struggling with addiction or temptation, that true happiness and fulfillment can only come from finding something or someone that is truly worth it.
Overall, My Elusive Drug is a powerful love song that showcases how a special person can change things for the better. It’s a reminder that we all make mistakes but that with determination and the right person by our side, we can make positive changes in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not the same as I used to be
I have grown and changed over time.
All the things you've heard seem hard to believe
People may have preconceived notions about me that are not entirely true or accurate.
Haven't always been good, never really been bad
I have had both positive and negative experiences, but overall I try to do the right things.
Most times I've been happy, yea sometimes I've been sad
I have experienced a full range of emotions throughout my life.
Sure I've made mistakes, haven't we all
I have made errors in judgment, but this is a natural part of the human experience.
I've been loose as a cannon and dumb as a wall
At times I have been reckless and made poor decisions.
Haven't always been sober in counting my ducks
There have been times when I have not been entirely responsible or attentive to important matters.
And if I look back now I've had my share of luck
I have been fortunate in certain aspects of my life.
But the change didn't come over night
I have undergone a significant transformation over a period of time.
I've been searching for you all my life
I have been looking for a particular person or thing that I have not yet found.
All the habits that I couldn't handle
I have struggled with certain behaviors or tendencies that were difficult to overcome.
I've swept them under the rug
I have tried to hide or ignore these issues.
In exchange for the sweetest addiction
I have found something that has become very important or meaningful to me.
You, my elusive drug
This thing that I have been looking for is like a drug to me, something that I cannot easily do without.
I'm going to stay now, I really like it here
I have found a place where I feel comfortable and want to stay.
I may paint your picture, and I might grow a beard
I am open to trying new things and exploring different parts of myself.
There were times I was crazy couldn't handle my life
There have been points in my life when I felt overwhelmed and out of control.
Don't think you'd have liked me not at any old price
If you had known me during these difficult times, you might not have wanted to be around me.
And I've taken the pills
I have tried coping mechanisms or medications to deal with some of my issues.
I got burnt out and chilled by the cold
Some of these solutions did not work or led to negative consequences.
But I've no regrets and that being said
Overall, I do not have any major regrets about my life, even if some things did not go as planned.
You know cheap thrills can get pretty old
I have learned that quick fixes or addictive behaviors are not sustainable in the long run.
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah
An expression of joy or excitement.
In exchange for the sweetest addiction
The thing that I have been searching for feels very important or meaningful to me.
You, my elusive drug
This elusive thing that I have been looking for is like a drug to me, something that I cannot easily do without.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: 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.....