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)
Religion
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he was sitting in a den of thieves
Looking for the great awakening
Trying to find a way to leave
But that's when he got religion
And the light went on inside
He said somebody up there likes me
Now he's working for the holy guide
He got drunk but he don't remember
That he'd been drinking in a bar downtown
When he thought he heard a choir of angels
Singing in the Tiki Lounge
And that's when he got religion
From no salesman on TV
Just a tap on the shoulder in the parking lot
He still drinks but he does believe
Religion, you do the best you can
We all make the same mistakes
We're gonna wind up with the man
Religion, oh you do the best you can
We all make the same mistakes
We're gonna wind up with the man
She was silent as he paid her
But the thanks she got was next to none
And as her car pulled out of the motel
She felt the presence of someone
And that's when she got religion
In the front of a compact Ford
Just a gentle voice on the stereo
Now she's a working girl who loves the lord
"Religion" is a song by Elton John that explores the theme of redemption through religion. The opening line sets the scene for the story - there is a man who is looking for a way out of a den of thieves, hoping to find enlightenment or some kind of salvation. He finds it in religion - his conversion experience is sudden, and he feels that someone up there likes him. The man now works for the holy guide, and although he still drinks, he has faith in himself and his beliefs. The second verse tells the story of a woman who experiences the same kind of religious awakening, although in a more subdued way - she hears a gentle voice on the stereo of her car, and this is enough to bring her to a newfound faith.
The chorus of "Religion" is both uplifting and slightly ironic, suggesting that everyone makes mistakes (implying that religious people are not immune to error) but that in the end, we all wind up with "the man" - whether this means God or death is left up to interpretation. What is clear is that the song seeks to explore the idea of how religion can be a transformative and positive force in people's lives. The message is one of hope and redemption, encouraging listeners to do their best and to believe in themselves and in something greater than themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Well he could almost taste the money
Although he was surrounded by thieves and liars, he could see his fortune waiting for him
But he was sitting in a den of thieves
He found himself amongst people of questionable character and morals
Looking for the great awakening
Seeking a transformative experience to redirect his life
Trying to find a way to leave
Desperately searching for a way out of his current situation
But that's when he got religion
He suddenly found faith and felt his life change for the better
And the light went on inside
He had a moment of clarity and enlightenment
He said somebody up there likes me
He believed that a higher power was looking out for him
Now he's working for the holy guide
He has devoted himself to serving his newfound faith
He got drunk but he don't remember
He had a drunken episode that he cannot recollect
That he'd been drinking in a bar downtown
He was out drinking at a local bar in the city center
When he thought he heard a choir of angels
In his intoxicated state, he imagined he heard a heavenly choir
Singing in the Tiki Lounge
He heard the choir singing in a nearby nightclub
From no salesman on TV
He did not discover his religion through televangelism
Just a tap on the shoulder in the parking lot
He received a gentle nudge towards faith from a stranger in the parking lot
He still drinks but he does believe
Although he still drinks, he has found solace and hope in his newfound faith
Religion, you do the best you can
Acknowledging the imperfections that come with faith, but still trying to live in the best way possible
We all make the same mistakes
Reflecting on how all people, regardless of faith or background, make the same errors in life
We're gonna wind up with the man
Speculating that, in the end, we will all be judged by a higher power
She was silent as he paid her
She accepted payment quietly and without complaint
But the thanks she got was next to none
Despite her hard work, she received very little gratitude or acknowledgement
And as her car pulled out of the motel
As she drove away from her place of work
She felt the presence of someone
She sensed a divine presence suddenly surrounding her
In the front of a compact Ford
She discovered her faith while listening to a sermon while driving her small car
Just a gentle voice on the stereo
It was simply a soft, comforting voice over the radio that led her to religion
Now she's a working girl who loves the lord
Her faith has transformed her into a devoted worker and believer in God
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
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.....