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)
Rope Around A Fool
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A tear starts at the edge
It takes two hands to rip it
It takes a lot more than either one of us has said
But I come from indecision
A place you ain't never been
Living in the state of confusion
On a map that runs like the veins under your skin
We got mass determination making up the rules
But saving us is something that we can't do
And it's easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool
And love is just another means
by which we hang ourselves
It takes two to execute
One to leave with innocence and one to leave with guilt
But I just see no reality
Just shades drawn on remorse
We've whipped this beast beyond the limit
Staggered out of breath along this course
It's easier to lose a rope around a fool
Easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool
A ring of your indifference thrown anywhere you choose
Easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool
The lyrics of "Rope Around A Fool" talk about the difficulties and complexities of relationships. The opening line, "I don't make the rules around here," sets the tone for the rest of the song. It suggests that there are external forces at play that dictate the dynamics of the relationship. The following line, "A tear starts at the edge," implies that there is pain and vulnerability just beneath the surface of the relationship.
The lines, "But saving us is something that we can't do / And it's easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool," suggest a sense of helplessness and resignation. The singer realizes that they are unable to save the relationship or their partner, and that sometimes it is easier to let things be and allow themselves to be "roped" into the situation.
The line, "And love is just another means by which we hang ourselves," is a poignant observation. Love can be both the source of great joy and the cause of great pain. The final lines, "Easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool / A ring of your indifference thrown anywhere you choose," indicate a sense of detachment and resignation. The singer realizes that they cannot control the situation or their partner's actions, and they must accept their own powerlessness in the face of it all.
Overall, the lyrics of "Rope Around A Fool" offer a bleak, yet honest, take on the complexities of relationships and the emotions that come with them.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't make the rules around here
I don't have control over the situation
A tear starts at the edge
The situation is starting to unravel
It takes two hands to rip it
The situation is complicated and requires effort from both parties
It takes a lot more than either one of us has said
There are underlying issues that need to be addressed
But I come from indecision
I am uncertain about what to do
A place you ain't never been
This is unfamiliar territory for you
Living in the state of confusion
I am struggling with understanding the situation
On a map that runs like the veins under your skin
The situation is deeply ingrained and interconnected
We got Miss Communication kicking out the stool
There is a breakdown in communication that is exacerbating the problem
We got mass determination making up the rules
People are digging in their heels and refusing to compromise
But saving us is something that we can't do
We are incapable of solving this problem
And it's easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool
Sometimes it's easier to pin the blame on someone else
And love is just another means
Love can be a tool used to manipulate others
by which we hang ourselves
Our own actions can backfire and hurt us
It takes two to execute
Both parties are responsible for the outcome
One to leave with innocence and one to leave with guilt
One person will come out of this situation looking better than the other
But I just see no reality
I am having trouble seeing the situation clearly
Just shades drawn on remorse
I am feeling regret without fully understanding why
We've whipped this beast beyond the limit
The situation has gone too far and is out of control
Staggered out of breath along this course
We are exhausted from trying to manage this situation
It's easier to lose a rope around a fool
It's easier to blame someone else than to take responsibility
Easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool
Sometimes it's easier to pin the blame on someone else
A ring of your indifference thrown anywhere you choose
Your lack of concern is making the situation worse
Easier sometimes to throw a rope around a fool
Sometimes it's easier to pin the blame on someone else
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.....