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)
Satellite
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Starving for affection, waiting to be fed
Crazy like a full moon, eyes open wide
Taking in everything you need to stay alive
Who leads who, who knows where
If you leave me now will I see you again
I'm telling you love bites
Like a satellite
Going round and round
It's something, something you can't fight
Oh in the daylight
And even in the dark night
I want you to surround me
Surround me like a satellite
Oh you move like a shadow of your own design
Do you want to trap me in between the lines
I don't walk on water if you think I can
If you want a miracle call up a Superman
Are we there
Is this love
Is this a space race
That we're both part of
The opening lines of Elton John's song Satellite describe a person who enters into life suddenly, like a comet blazing across the sky. This individual has a multitude of ideas and yearns for attention and love to fill the emptiness inside. The next lines speak of the individual's wild and erratic nature, like that of the phases of the moon. They take in everything they can to survive and thrive, but questions are raised about who is leading who and where their journey will take them. The singer wonders if they will ever see this person again if they suddenly leave.
The chorus of the song likens love to a powerful entity like a satellite, which constantly orbits around the individuals caught in its influence. It is an unstoppable force that cannot be avoided or fought, and the singer has succumbed to it completely. They want to be completely surrounded by this love, just as a satellite is surrounded by space.
The second verse describes this person's ability to move effortlessly and silently, like a shadow in the night. The singer wonders if they are trying to manipulate them or lead them down a path they shouldn't follow. The singer admits they are not a superhero and cannot perform miracles, even if the person they are singing about wants them to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you come on like a comet, ideas in your head
You have bold and innovative concepts that you pursue with zeal and determination.
Starving for affection, waiting to be fed
You have a deep hunger and need for love and care.
Crazy like a full moon, eyes open wide
You display intense and passionate behavior, with a keen awareness of your surroundings.
Taking in everything you need to stay alive
You absorb everything that you require to keep going and pursue your goals.
Who leads who, who knows where
It is unclear who is in charge or where we are headed in this relationship.
If you leave me now will I see you again
I am unsure if our paths will cross again if you choose to leave me at this moment.
I'm telling you love bites
Love can be both wonderful and painful at the same time.
Like a satellite
Love can feel like an object in space, circling around and exerting influence over us.
Going round and round
Love can be cyclical and repetitive at times.
It's something, something you can't fight
Love is a force that can be difficult to resist or control.
Oh in the daylight
Even in the bright hours of the day, love can be overpowering.
And even in the dark night
Love can hold a strong presence in the dark and quiet hours of the night.
I want you to surround me
I desire for you to encircle and envelop me with love and affection.
Surround me like a satellite
I long for your love to orbit around me constantly and persistently.
Oh you move like a shadow of your own design
You act in accordance with your own set of beliefs and values, creating an enigmatic presence.
Do you want to trap me in between the lines
Do you wish to entangle me within a complex web of emotions and desires?
I don't walk on water if you think I can
I am not all-powerful or invincible, despite any illusions or misconceptions you may have about me.
If you want a miracle call up a Superman
If you seek the impossible, turn to a fantastical superhero figure instead of expecting miracles from me.
Are we there
Are we at our destination or goal in this relationship?
Is this love
Is this feeling that we share truly love?
Is this a space race
Is this relationship comparable to a competition or challenge in outer space?
That we're both part of
That we are both involved in and contributing to.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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.....