Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, John is one of the most successful artists of all time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide in a seven-decade career in music. He is acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, and his lasting impact on the music industry. John's music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

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 Father's Gun
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

From this day on I own my father's gun
We dug his shallow grave beneath the sun
I laid his broken body down below the Southern land
It wouldn't do to bury him where any Yankee stands

I'll take my horse and I'll ride the northern plain
To wear the color of the greys and join the fight again
I'll not rest until I know the cause is fought and won

From this day on until I die I'll wear my father's gun

I'd like to know where the riverboat sails tonight
To New Orleans well that's just fine alright
'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
So slip us a rope and sail on round the bend

As soon as this is over we'll go home
To plant the seeds of justice in our bones
To watch the children growing and see the women sewing
There'll be laughter when the bells of freedom ring

I'd like to know where the riverboat sails tonight
To New Orleans well that's just fine alright
'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
All I said, all I said, slip us a rope and sail on round the bend

I'd like to know where the riverboat sails tonight
To New Orleans well that's just fine alright
'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
All I said, all I said, slip us a rope and sail on round the bend, oh

I'd like to know where the riverboat, the riverboat sails tonight
To New Orleans well that's just fine alright
'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
All I said, all I said, slip us a rope and sail on round the bend

I'd like to know where the riverboat, the riverboat, the riverboat sails tonight
To New Orleans well that's just fine, that's just fine alright
'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
All I said is slip us a rope and sail on round the bend

I'd like to know where the riverboat sails tonight
To New Orleans well that's just fine, that's just fine alright
'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
All I said, all I said, slip us a rope and sail on round the bend

Riverboat sails tonight
That's just fine, alright
Ah ah ah ah

Slip us a rope, sail, sail around, sail around the bend
Riverboat sails tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Elton John's song My Father's Gun, tell the story of a son who inherits his father's gun and promises to wear it and fight for the cause his father believed in till the day he dies. The song has a historical context and refers to the American Civil War. The opening words, "From this day on I own my father's gun, We dug his shallow grave beneath the sun" establish that the son of a Confederate soldier had buried his father and was now the owner of his father's gun. The next line, "I laid his broken body down below the Southern land, It wouldn't do to bury him where any Yankee stands" confirms that the father was a defender of the Confederacy, and the son felt the need to bury him in the Southern Land where the Confederacy was respected.

In the next verse, the son expresses his desire to join the fight as a Confederate soldier by riding the Northern plain and wearing the color of the greys. The line "To watch the children growing and see the women sewing, There'll be laughter when the bells of freedom ring" suggests that the son fought for a cause he believed was going to bring freedom to the land he loved.

The last verse repeats the phrases of the first two verses but substitutes the word "tonight" for "day," while the line "All I said, all I said, slip us a rope and sail on round the bend" is a plea for a chance to join the fighting in New Orleans.

Line by Line Meaning

From this day on I own my father's gun
I inherit my father's tool of war and violence.

We dug his shallow grave beneath the sun
We gave my father a hasty burial, neglecting the respect he deserved.

I laid his broken body down below the Southern land
I buried my father in the land he fought for, expressing loyalty to his confederate heritage.

It wouldn't do to bury him where any Yankee stands
It was unacceptable to bury him in the northern soil, as his dying wish was to always be associated with Southern values.

I'll take my horse and I'll ride the northern plain
I will represent the Confederacy in battle by joining forces and enhancing the reach of the southern army.

To wear the color of the greys and join the fight again
I will wear the uniform of the Confederacy army to portray my loyalty and support in a renewed fight for their aforementioned beliefs.

I'll not rest until I know the cause is fought and won
I will not cease fighting until I witness the Southern values triumphing over the Yankee forces, providing a sense of victory even if it means sacrificing the most valuable thing I possess.

From this day on until I die I'll wear my father's gun
My father's gun will remain with me for as long as I live, serving as a cherished object of heritage and mortality.

I'd like to know where the riverboat sails tonight
I wish to be aware of the company's movement to determine the possibility of participating in another fight.

To New Orleans well that's just fine alright
New Orleans is a suitable location for prospective fighting given its strategic location and opportunities for future recruitment.

'Cause there's fighting there and the company needs men
The presence of battles in New Orleans provides an opportunity for enlistment and contribution to the Confederate army.

So slip us a rope and sail on round the bend
Provide us with a means of transport to the company, allowing us to fight for Southern values.

As soon as this is over we'll go home
Upon victory, we will return to familiar grounds with a newfound sense of freedom and political order.

To plant the seeds of justice in our bones
We will instill the values fought for in the younger generation to further embolden the foundation of our beliefs.

To watch the children growing and see the women sewing
We will witness the creation of a new generation that will carry forward the Southern beliefs and values while the women support the continuing effort through mending and maintaining the efforts of the Confederacy.

There'll be laughter when the bells of freedom ring
The satisfaction of victory will ring in the ears of those who fought, bringing joy and a sense of achievement to those who suffered and lost loved ones in the process.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernie Taupin, Elton John

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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