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)
Rock n Roll Madonna
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breaking all the laws of the land
Well don't you try to stop me
I'm going her way
And that's the way I'm sure she had it planned
Well that's my Rock-and-roll Madonna
She's always been a lady of the road
But no one ever gets her
Well the freeway is the only way she knows
Well if she would only slow down for a short time
I'd get to know her just before she leaves
But she's got some fascination for that two wheel combination
And I swear it's going to be the death of me
The lyrics to Elton John's song Rock and Roll Madonna tell the story of a woman, the rock-and-roll Madonna, who is always on the move, breaking all the laws of the land and going her own way. The singer is drawn to her, wanting to get to know her better, but she is too busy chasing the thrill of the open road on her motorcycle. He recognizes that she is a woman of adventure, always seeking out new experiences, and that he cannot hold her back from living her life fully. The lyrics capture the feeling of both fear and excitement that comes with chasing after someone who is always moving forward and never looking back.
The song itself is an homage to the rock-and-roll lifestyle and the freedom that comes with it. It is a lively and raucous tune, filled with energy and passion, much like the woman it describes. Elton John's vocals are dynamic and full of emotion, and the instrumentation is wild and untamed, perfectly capturing the spirit of the song. It is a celebration of living life to the fullest, of taking risks and following your heart, even if it means breaking a few rules along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
If anyone should see me making it down the highway
If someone sees me driving quickly on the highway
Breaking all the laws of the land
Disobeying the rules and regulations of the road
Well don't you try to stop me
Do not attempt to halt my progress
I'm going her way
I am following her path
And that's the way I'm sure she had it planned
She must have intended it to happen this way
Well that's my Rock-and-roll Madonna
This is my rock and roll goddess
She's always been a lady of the road
She has always preferred a nomadic lifestyle
Well everybody wants her
Everyone desires her company
But no one ever gets her
However, no one ever manages to possess her fully
Well the freeway is the only way she knows
The highway is her preferred mode of transportation
Well if she would only slow down for a short time
If only she would decelerate for a brief period
I'd get to know her just before she leaves
I could introduce myself to her just prior to her departure
But she's got some fascination for that two wheel combination
She has an obsessive attraction to motorcycles
And I swear it's going to be the death of me
I am certain that this will lead to my demise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
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.....