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)
Passengers
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deny the passenger, who want to get on
Deny the passenger, who want to get on
Want to get on
He want to get on
Want to get on
He want to get on
You need a matching pair
One hypocritical fool
And a crowd that's never there
There's anger in the silence
There's wheels upon the jail
A black train built of bones
On a copper rail
Company conductor
You need the salt of tears
Falling on a ticket
That no one's used in years
Non-commercial native
It's tattooed in your veins
You're living in a blood bank
And riding on this train
The spirit's free, but you always find
Passengers stand and wait in line
Someone in front and someone else behind
But passengers always wait in line
The lyrics of Elton John's song Passengers seem to be a commentary on the human need for exclusion, and the way we choose who to let into our lives, whether it's on a personal, social or political level. By denying the passenger who wants to get on, Elton John could be seen as exploring the theme of discrimination and exclusion, perhaps choosing to exclude those who are different from us for fear of what they might bring. The repetition of the line "deny the passenger" emphasizes the theme of exclusion making it clear that it is up to us who we allow into our lives.
The second verse, "to make a chain of fools, you need a matching pair, one hypocritical fool, and a crowd that's never there," could be seen as a criticism of the group mentality and the way in which people often blindly follow leaders or gurus without questioning their motives. The line "there's anger in the silence" seems to suggest that people often hold back their opinions or feelings out of fear of being excluded or humiliated.
The final verse seems to be about the human need to fit in and conform. By "living in a blood bank and riding on this train," Elton John could be referring to the way in which society often demands that we give up our individuality in order to conform to the norm. The line "the spirit's free, but you always find passengers stand and wait in line" might suggest that despite our desire for individuality, we still feel the urge to conform and be part of a group.
Line by Line Meaning
Deny the passenger, who want to get on
Reject anyone who wants to board
Deny the passenger, who want to get on
Turn away anyone who is seeking entry
Deny the passenger, who want to get on
Refuse the people who want to join
Want to get on
Desire to board
He want to get on
He desires entry
Want to get on
Wishing to board
He want to get on
He wants to join the journey
To make a chain of fools
To create a group of foolish people
You need a matching pair
You require two people with similar qualities
One hypocritical fool
One person who is dishonest with themselves
And a crowd that's never there
And an absent group of people
There's anger in the silence
There is frustration in the quietness
There's wheels upon the jail
Wheels can be seen at the prison
A black train built of bones
Train constructed with skeletal remains
On a copper rail
Moving forward along a metal track
Company conductor
Boss of the train
You need the salt of tears
Emotional pain is required
Falling on a ticket
Crying onto a piece of paper
That no one's used in years
That hasn't been touched in ages
Non-commercial native
Someone who is not interested in profit
It's tattooed in your veins
It is ingrained and permanent
You're living in a blood bank
You are surrounded by lifeless entities
And riding on this train
Traveling along with the train
The spirit's free, but you always find
You feel liberated, but you still notice
Passengers stand and wait in line
People patiently queue up
Someone in front and someone else behind
Someone leading and someone following
But passengers always wait in line
But people always stand in line
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, DAVEY JOHNSTON, ELTON JOHN, PHINEAS MCHIZE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Candy Apple Blue
I always really liked this song. It's very unique. It doesn't sound like a hit single, of course, but its a great album track to my ears. It has a great spirit and energy. ❤️
neveratime
It reached No.5 in the Official UK Singles Charts. So many people made it a hit. Granted there isn't much to it but it sticks in your head and that's what a good song should do. ☮
Andrew Thomson
It does sound like a hit single to me 😮
Andrew Thomson
I belted it out at karaoke recently 😂
Captain Fantastic
Number 15 on my list of favourite Elton John songs. Like "Bennie And The Jets," "The Wide-Eyed And Laughing," and "Lord Of The Flies," "Passengers" sounds like nothing EJ recorded before (or since). A deserved top ten in the U.K.
Special cameo by Bernie Taupin who wanted to make a "matching pair." 😉
Groovy Murdock
Love Taupin’s appearance! Very rare in an Elton video.
Dan The Man
Nice 80's feel and represents a great time for everyone, even Elton. And he didn't slap the dog shit out of anyone in the whole video!
John schramm
this song is sooo cool.
Barry Bowman
Omg I didn’t know there was a music video for this song!
Gantz De Vries
Love elton but this one isnt good