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)
No Shoe Strings on Louise
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buys the hoedown show salt and beans
Goes to church to pray for Lucifer
She milked the male population clean
So ride in line, shake yourself by the hand
Live your life inside a paper can
But you'll never get to pick and choose
There ain't no shoestrings on Louise
Come on down, come on down from the ladder
Henry, get your head, get your head out of them clouds
What she wants is to go kissing on a swineherd
You might as well kiss the boss man's cow
All those city women want to make us poor men
And this land's got the worse for the worrying
I got married at the early age of fourteen
And I've been worrying about the way you'll be loving them
The first verse of Elton John's “No Shoe Strings On Louise” describes a mysterious woman named Lady Love who "rides a big red Cadillac" and "buys the hoedown show salt and beans." She is a contradictory character because she both goes to church to pray for Lucifer and "milks the male population clean." This suggests that she has a dominating and manipulative personality that allows her to have power over men. The lyrics illustrate how she has bought and sold these men while they have no control or choice in the matter, which is emphasized by the line "there ain't no shoestrings on Louise." This line implies that once a person has been ensnared by Louise, they lose all freedom and autonomy.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady love rides a big red Cadillac
There is a woman, Lady Love, who travels in a large, flashy car.
Buys the hoedown show salt and beans
Lady Love is wealthy enough to purchase the entire town's party supplies including food and entertainment.
Goes to church to pray for Lucifer
Lady Love goes to church and prays to the devil, contradicting the typical worshipper's beliefs, and showcasing her rebellious nature.
She milked the male population clean
Lady Love is manipulating and taking advantage of men for her own gain.
So ride in line, shake yourself by the hand
Go with the flow and be self-sufficient; don't rely on anyone else.
Live your life inside a paper can
Live cautiously and don't take risks.
But you'll never get to pick and choose
Despite caution, you may not always have control over what happens to you.
She's bought you and sold you
Lady Love has taken advantage of you, leaving you with no power or control.
There ain't no shoestrings on Louise
Louise, like Lady Love, is powerful and independent. She doesn't have any ties or restrictions holding her back.
Come on down, come on down from the ladder
Get off your high horse and come back to reality.
Henry, get your head, get your head out of them clouds
Henry’s head is in the clouds and he needs to snap back to reality.
What she wants is to go kissing on a swineherd
Lady Love desires to be with somebody considered beneath her.
You might as well kiss the boss man's cow
This is to say that Lady Love’s dreams are not attainable, and if you chase them, you will be ridiculed.
All those city women want to make us poor men
These women are manipulative and dangerous, and can ruin men financially.
And this land's got the worse for the worrying
The state of the land has become poor due to the worrying nature of women and men.
I got married at the early age of fourteen
The artist was forced into marriage at a young age.
And I've been worrying about the way you'll be loving them
The artist is concerned about what others will do to them, especially in regards to affairs of the heart.
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.....