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)
One Horse Town
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd always seen horses, buggies, bales of hay
'Cause progress here don't move with modern times
There's nothing to steal
So there's not a great deal of crime
It sure is hell living in a one horse town
There's half a mile of Alabama mud bed ground
Unless you're sitting in a rocking chair just picking a tune
And they ain't too well acquainted with the stars and stripes
But if you want to hear Susanna then they'll pick all night
They'll pick all night
'Cause it's no dice living in a one horse town
Laid back, as my old coon hound
And I just can't wait to get out of this one horse town
There's nothing to steal 'cause there's simply nothing much around
Sure is hell living in this one horse town
There's half a mile of Alabama mud bed ground
And I just can't wait to grow out of this one horse town
There's nothing to steal 'cause there's nothing much around
In the song "One Horse Town" by Elton John, the singer is expressing his frustration with living in a backwards, isolated town. He compares the underdeveloped state of the town with his recent sighting of a Cadillac, which is a symbol of progress and modernity. He says that the town is so behind the times that there are still horses, buggies and hay bales, and nothing much of interest happens during the day. He is obviously dissatisfied with the limited opportunities in this town and wants to escape it.
The singer also describes the town's lack of knowledge about American symbols such as the stars and stripes, implying that the town is sheltered and uneducated. However, he notes that the residents do have a love of music, as they can play and sing classic tunes like "Oh Susanna" through the night. Despite this one redeeming quality, the singer concludes that living in a one horse town is like living in hell, with nothing to do and nothing to steal.
Line by Line Meaning
Saw a Cadillac for the first time yesterday
Encountered a new and unfamiliar sight, a modern Cadillac car, in contrast to the archaic horse-drawn vehicles and hay bales that are commonly seen
I'd always seen horses, buggies, bales of hay
The singer is used to seeing traditional things in their outdated town, such as horses and buggies used for transportation and bales of hay for farming
'Cause progress here don't move with modern times
The town is stagnant and lacks progress, refusing to adapt to changes of the modern world and staying in the past
There's nothing to steal
Due to the lack of possessions and valuable resources in the town, there is hardly any crime or theft here
So there's not a great deal of crime
This town doesn't witness a lot of criminal activity due to the lack of valuable assets and resources available here
It sure is hell living in a one horse town
Life in this town is extremely monotonous and boring
There's half a mile of Alabama mud bed ground
The landscape is typically stereotypical, featuring miles of muddy land known to thrive in Alabama
Nothing much doing of an afternoon
There's not much to do in the afternoons since the town is small, with limited activities and entertainment options
Unless you're sitting in a rocking chair just picking a tune
One of the few ways to spend leisure time a person can have in this town is by sitting around, strumming a guitar and humming a tune
And they ain't too well acquainted with the stars and stripes
The townsfolk are not too familiar with American flag's identity and its significance as such symbols are not commonly found in this town
But if you want to hear Susanna then they'll pick all night
There's a significant musical inclination in the town and people often group together to enjoy traditional folk tunes all night long, with the song 'Oh Susanna' being a favorite
'Cause it's no dice living in a one horse town
The lifestyle and environment of this small town aren't fulfilling and are certainly not 'It' form
Laid back, as my old coon hound
The town's energy and vibe are relaxed and casual, very similar to the singer's old hunting dog
And I just can't wait to get out of this one horse town
The singer can't wait to leave and experience more, fed up with the limited options for entertainment in this small town
There's nothing to steal 'cause there's simply nothing much around
There isn't much in the town that has practical value, making it impossible to steal or commit a crime with a significant payoff
Sure is hell living in this one horse town
The town is so dull that it's practically unbearable to live in
And I just can't wait to grow out of this one horse town
The artist longs to grow out of the town, both physically and mentally, to move on from the small and limited environment.
There's nothing to steal 'cause there's nothing much around
There is hardly any crime or theft in the town since the town lacks valuable possessions or resources.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, JAMES NEWTON-HOWARD, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
il Tenore
Had the absolute privilege of working on this album when I was trainee engineer. Gus Dudgeon was a genius producer and the band Elton pulled together for this album was nothing short of sensational. The drum sound on this track in particular was sensational and Roger Pope was on fire when it was recorded. No digital tech then all on magnetic tapes and an MCI Desk.. wow I can tell you when we mixed this track the studio monitors were rocking there socks off....
C. Mark Sublette
What a privilege to be a witness to a landmark track being brought to life. Thank you for sharing your memory.
intrepidsinger
Thrilled for you that you had this experience! I’d have killed to have been a fly on the wall for these sessions. This album was recorded and mixed IMMACULATELY (with emphasis). It was an adventurous album on so many levels, so the engineering team had to be as stellar as the musicians. Supreme props to you and the rest of the team for pulling off one of the cleanest analog albums ever recorded (no hyperbole).
intrepidsinger
Thrilled for you that you had this experience! I’d have killed to have been a fly on the wall for these sessions. This album was recorded and mixed IMMACULATELY (with emphasis). It was an adventurous album on so many levels, so the engineering team had to be as stellar as the musicians. Supreme props to you and the rest of the team for pulling off one of the cleanest analog albums ever recorded (no hyperbole).
Sue Tresidder
Thank you for your comment about Roger!!
Legalize Shemp
Thank you for your work. I have long regarded this album as his finest. You guys did a groundbreaking job on this work of art. The engineering was before it's time.
weottertalk
Elton can rock then make you cry with a ballad.
He is a musical genious.
La jack
Yes but it's Bernie Taupin with the words
the81kid
Early Elton John is the best of the best. Nobody can touch him. And Bernie Taupin's lyrics - man those are the greatest.
Michael Cosby
This rocks. Love Roger's drumming (hello Sue)