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)
Regimental Sergeant Zippo
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he wants to be like father when he grows up if he can
His eyes survey the floorboards with his soldiers around him
But fear not for the future, you will climb the highest mountain
So Regimental Sergeant Zippo
Stand up to attention will you
Hear the bugle sounding in the morning call up rising
You're the one who is commanding
Watch them march along the landing down the stairs
Just a small boy in a small boy's world
And small boys do strange things
He likes to see the match sticks fly
And hear the cannons ring
For his eider down, his battle field
And in his dreams his fights are real
The lyrics to Regimental Sergeant Zippo by Elton John describe a young boy's admiration for his father, who is a well-known soldier. The boy has a picture of his father in his nursery and wants to grow up to be like him. The fear of the future is present, but Elton reassures the boy that he will climb the highest mountain. The song then moves to the present, where Regimental Sergeant Zippo, the father of the boy, is being called to stand up to attention. The sound of the bugle is heard, and the soldiers march along the landing down the stairs.
Throughout the song, Elton emphasizes the boy's love for war and fighting. He likes to see the matchsticks fly and the cannons ring. His eider down is his battlefield, and in his dreams, his fights are real. Elton paints a vivid picture of the boy's fascination with war and how he wants to be like his father, who is the epitome of a soldier.
Overall, this song shows the admiration and love a child has for their parent who is a soldier. It also portrays how the world of war and fighting can be something that enchants and fascinates young people. The song's lyrics remind us of the importance of acknowledging and respecting the military and its presence in our society.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a picture in the nursery of a well known soldier man
A young boy has a picture of a famous soldier in his room
And he wants to be like father when he grows up if he can
The boy aspires to be like the soldier in the picture when he is older
His eyes survey the floorboards with his soldiers around him
The boy is playing with toy soldiers and is focused on them
But fear not for the future, you will climb the highest mountain
The boy should not be afraid for the future and should pursue his dreams
So Regimental Sergeant Zippo
Addressing the character in the picture the boy admires
Stand up to attention will you
The boy wants the soldier in the picture to pay attention to him
Hear the bugle sounding in the morning call up rising
Reference to military wake up call, setting the scene
So your cowboy castle is standing
Reference to the boy's imaginary play space
You're the one who is commanding
The boy sees himself as the leader of the imaginary troops
Watch them march along the landing down the stairs
The boy imagines his toy soldiers marching around the house
Just a small boy in a small boy's world
The boy is young and is living in his own imagination
And small boys do strange things
Young children can have unpredictable behavior
He likes to see the match sticks fly
The boy is fascinated by the way matches burn
And hear the cannons ring
The boy enjoys the loud noise of pretend cannons
For his eider down, his battle field
The boy's bed is his battle field in his imagination
And in his dreams his fights are real
The boy's imaginary battles seem real to him in his dreams
Contributed by Emma J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
A New Song Psalm 33:3
"Regimental Sgt. Zippo"
There's a picture in the nursery of a well known soldier man
And he wants to be like father when he grows up if he can
His eyes survey the floorboards with his soldiers around him
But fear not for the future, you will climb the highest mountain
So Regimental Sergeant Zippo
Stand up to attention will you
Hear the bugle sounding in the morning call up rising
So your cowboy castle is standing
You're the one who is commanding
Watch them march along the landing down the stairs
Just a small boy in a small boy's world
And small boys do strange things
He likes to see the match sticks fly
And hear the cannons ring
For his eider down, his battle field
And in his dreams his fights are real
Until the field is won, aim, fire the guns
Jason Baroni
Even after so much of inspiration by The Beatles, Elton still sounds authentic in his way. I love it so much!
john scialfa
yep
Mogadon 1
Started laughing at first...so used to THE RUTTLES; and comedy versions of Sergeant Pepper/Beatles. Its a grower
Taylor England
Elton John is for me the greatest of all time, an amazing body of work over the years. Great to hear this song from his early days.
Mike and Mandy Music
No idea why this wasn't released. It fit with the time and is an excellent addition... I like it better than some other Elton stuff!
Mike and Mandy Music
Specifically, I'd listen to this over "Crocodile Rock" any day.
Jack Dearnley
I cannot express how much I appreciate all this new/old Elton content
Chariotreign
Loved the 70's artwork. I wish we had more wholesome art these days. Thanks Team Elton !
Ben
60s, definitely 60s.
Iris’s Music
Amazing as always! Love this 🎶