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)
Queen of Cities
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paradise so wisely hid
Overshadows Barcelona
Aragon, Castle, Madrid
Where on Earth can match your riches
Match your people fine and free
Why return to old world values
This is how the Earth should be
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, queen of cities
Overflowing with excess
Every turn exotic, lavish
Prescious wonders numberless
Lead me now into temptation
Surely you would not deny
One who's come so far to find you
All your blessings save goodbye
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, (she could be the death of me) El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
El Dorado, golden prison
Sheer perfection, sheer despair
How can one who knows such splendour
Feel the answer lies elsewhere
All I know is I must leave her
Or she'll be the death of me
Put my trust in poorer places
Let the queen of cities be
El Dorado, (must leave her) El Dorado (queen of cities)
El Dorado, (sheer perfection) El Dorado
El Dorado, (or she'll be the death of me) El Dorado
El Dorado, (queen of cities) El Dorado
(Must leave her) El Dorado, (queen of cities)
El Dorado, (sheer perfection) El Dorado
El Dorado, (or she'll be the death of me) El Dorado
El Dorado, (queen of cities) El Dorado
In the song "Queen of Cities," Elton John sings about a place called El Dorado, often associated withan imaginary city of gold. The lyrics describe El Dorado as a queen among cities, a place of paradise hidden away from the rest of the world, and overflowing with wealth and excess. The singer is overwhelmed by the extravagance and beauty of the city, but also feels trapped by its golden walls.
The song reflects on the idea of the grass being greener on the other side, as the singer has traveled afar to find El Dorado, but realizes that he must leave its golden prison or risk becoming a victim of its perfection. Despite the splendor of the city, the singer feels that there must be something more beyond its glittering walls.
Overall, the lyrics of "Queen of Cities" paint a vivid image of a mythical city of gold, a place of excess and temptation that can be both alluring and dangerous. The song speaks to the human desire for wealth and beauty, but also warns against becoming lost in the pursuit of such fleeting things.
Line by Line Meaning
El Dorado, queen of cities
El Dorado, a city of immense wealth and beauty
Paradise so wisely hid
A city that is hidden and hard to find but truly beautiful
Overshadows Barcelona
El Dorado's grandeur is greater than that of a great city like Barcelona
Aragon, Castle, Madrid
Even prominent cities like Aragon, Castle, Madrid can't compare to El Dorado
Where on Earth can match your riches
El Dorado's wealth cannot be matched by any other place on Earth
Match your people fine and free
El Dorado's people are not just wealthy, but also free and happy
Why return to old world values
Staying in El Dorado means there's no need to go back to outdated traditions or beliefs
This is how the Earth should be
El Dorado represents the perfect society that could exist on Earth
El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
Repetition of the name of the city
Overflowing with excess
El Dorado is full of extravagance and luxury
Every turn exotic, lavish
At every corner, El Dorado offers something exotic and grand
Precious wonders numberless
El Dorado seems to have an endless supply of precious objects and marvels
Lead me now into temptation
The city's wealth and beauty is so alluring, the singer wants to be taken there
Surely you would not deny
El Dorado, being so magnificent, would not deny someone's desire to visit
One who's come so far to find you
The singer has traveled far to reach El Dorado
All your blessings save goodbye
The artist wants to experience all that El Dorado has to offer before leaving
El Dorado, (she could be the death of me) El Dorado, El Dorado, El Dorado
Reinforcing the idea that the artist is enticed by the city and its excesses
El Dorado, golden prison
El Dorado can feel like a prison, trapping someone in its luxury
Sheer perfection, sheer despair
The perfection of El Dorado can also have a despairing effect on someone
How can one who knows such splendor feel the answer lies elsewhere
Despite the city's magnificence, the artist knows true happiness lies outside of El Dorado
All I know is I must leave her
The artist has resolved to leave the city
Or she'll be the death of me
Staying in El Dorado would be the artist's downfall
Put my trust in poorer places
The singer realizes that happiness and fulfillment are not just found in wealth and luxury
Let the queen of cities be
El Dorado can remain the queen of all cities, but it's not for everyone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, TIM RICE
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.....