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)
Nobody Wins
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that was many years ago
And by the time I came along
Things were already going wrong
I felt the pain in their pretense
The side they tried hard not to show
But through the simple eyes of youth
It wasn't hard to see the truth
[Chorus]
And in the end nobody wins
When love begins to fall apart
And it's the innocent who pay
When broken dreams get in the way
The game begins, the game nobody wins
They must have loved each other once
Before the magic slipped away
And as their life became a lie
What love remained began to die
I used to hide beneath the sheets
I prayed that time would find a way
But with the passing of the years
I watched as laughter turned to tears
[Chorus]
We used to love each other once
With all the passion we possessed
But people change as time goes by
Some feelings grow while others die
But if we learn from what we see
And face the truth while we still can
Then though the passion may be gone
Some kind of love can still live on
[Chorus]
Elton John's song Nobody Wins depicts the story of two people who were once in love but have now grown apart from each other. The singer feels the pain of their pretend love and can see through it despite being young. The chorus reflects on the notion that when love falls apart, nobody truly wins. The innocent people are the ones who suffer as broken dreams get in the way. The game of love is one that nobody wins, and this is constantly reiterated throughout the song.
The second verse continues to detail how the love between the two has withered away. Their magical love slowly slipped away, and their life became a facade in which an inch of love remained. The singer used to hide beneath the sheets, praying for everything to be okay, but eventually, laughter turned into tears, and things could never be the same again. The final verse of the song reflects on the singer's love story, which was once passionate, but like the couple in question, grew apart. However, the singer acknowledges that if one learns from what they witness and faces the truth, love can still survive even if the passion is gone.
Overall, Nobody Wins tells a poignant tale of how love can gradually fall apart, leaving behind nothing but broken dreams and sadness. Despite this, the song carries a positive message that if one can acknowledge the truth, and avoid pretending everything is okay, some kind of love can still survive.
Line by Line Meaning
They must have loved each other once
The couple in the song were in love at some point in the past.
But that was many years ago
Their love was in the distant past, having faded away over time.
And by the time I came along
The singer entered the picture later, after their love had already started to crumble.
Things were already going wrong
The relationship was already deteriorating by the time the artist appeared.
I felt the pain in their pretense
The couple tried to mask their problems, but the artist could tell that they were hurting.
The side they tried hard not to show
The couple was trying to hide their issues from others.
But through the simple eyes of youth
Despite their attempts, the singer as a child could still sense the truth.
It wasn't hard to see the truth
The problems in their relationship were clear to the artist even at a young age.
And in the end nobody wins
The ultimate result of the relationship's decline is that neither partner 'wins'.
When love begins to fall apart
The song is about the disintegration of a romantic relationship.
And it's the innocent who pay
Those who are not directly involved in the crumbling relationship are the ones who suffer the consequences.
When broken dreams get in the way
Their once-shared hopes and aspirations have become obstacles blocking the couple from mutual happiness.
The game begins, the game nobody wins
The 'game' of love can be won by neither party in such a situation; they can only lose together.
Before the magic slipped away
The romantic attraction between the couple gradually faded over time.
And as their life became a lie
Their relationship was no longer truthful and authentic due to their deception of each other.
What love remained began to die
Any remaining love the couple had for each other withered away.
I used to hide beneath the sheets
The artist was affected deeply by their parents' relationship problems and would hide to avoid confronting them.
I prayed that time would find a way
The young narrator hoped that time would heal the relationship conflicts and bring the love back as it was before.
But with the passing of the years
As time passed, things only got worse for the couple.
I watched as laughter turned to tears
The couple's joy together turned into sadness and strife.
We used to love each other once
The artist and their significant other once had a deep and passionate love.
With all the passion we possessed
The love they shared was intense and full of emotions.
But people change as time goes by
Over time, people change and grow apart from one another.
Some feelings grow while others die
Not all emotions are capable of lasting forever; some will fade away.
But if we learn from what we see
If people learn from observing failed relationships, they can take steps to prevent their own problems from turning into more severe issues.
And face the truth while we still can
It is crucial to seek and confront the reality of the problems one faces while there is still time to work on them.
Then though the passion may be gone
Even if the passionate emotions have faded, it is still possible to maintain a new kind of love and relationship.
Some kind of love can still live on
It is still possible to have love, albeit a different kind, after experiencing heartbreak.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEAN PAUL DREAU, GARY ANTHONY OSBORNE
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.....