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)
Shine
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have cursed the stars above
That lead my heart to you
But as hard as I try
Still my love will not die
And the stars still shine on through
And the stars still shine on through
Now this ship's too hard to steer
The tide has turned, turned on you
I have been through the lies
That I've seen in your eyes
But the truth still shines on through
But the truth it still shines, shines on through
So shine, shine on through the days we have to fill
Though we took our love so daringly
And gave it up uncaringly
There are feelings left not even we can kill
Oh my friend
So at last we reach the end
The lights go down on cue
I have wasted my time
But it tasted oh so fine
That my love still shines, shines on through
And my love still shines, shines on you
In Elton John's song "Shine," the singer expresses his deep and enduring love for someone, despite the hardships they have faced in their relationship. He acknowledges that he has been through difficult times with this person, and has perhaps even cursed the very stars that brought them together. But no matter how hard he tries, his love will not die, and the stars continue to shine on.
The singer also acknowledges that their relationship has been difficult to navigate at times, like a ship that is too hard to steer. He has seen lies in his partner's eyes, but through it all, the truth still shines on. The song encourages the listener to keep moving forward, to shine on through the days they have left to fill, even if they have taken their love for granted in the past.
Ultimately, the singer recognizes that their relationship may be coming to an end, but his love still shines on, both for his partner and for the time they shared together. The song conveys a powerful message of hope and resilience, encouraging listeners to keep their hearts open and their spirits shining despite the challenges they may face in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love
Addressing someone dear to him with affection.
I have cursed the stars above
Blaming his bad luck and fate for bringing him to his love.
That lead my heart to you
The universe's alignment made him fall in love.
But as hard as I try
Even if he tries to forget, he can't let go.
Still my love will not die
His love for his partner is too strong to die.
And the stars still shine on through
Despite his anger and frustration with fate, hope still exists.
Oh my dear
Addressing someone dear to him again after reflecting on the universe's alignment.
Now this ship's too hard to steer
Their relationship is too complicated to fix.
The tide has turned, turned on you
Life is not going easy on them.
I have been through the lies
He has been hurt by his partner's dishonesty.
That I've seen in your eyes
He knows his partner's telling lies.
But the truth still shines on through
The truth prevails despite the lies.
So shine, shine on through the days we have to fill
Let's live life to the fullest despite the difficulties.
Though we took our love so daringly
Despite taking risks, they fell in love.
And gave it up uncaringly
Despite the passion, they broke up without care for each other's feelings.
There are feelings left not even we can kill
There are still residual feelings that they hold for each other.
Oh my friend
Addressing someone he has known for a long time.
So at last we reach the end
The relationship has come to an end.
The lights go down on cue
The spotlight on the relationship is turned off.
I have wasted my time
He believes he wasted his time pursuing this relationship.
But it tasted oh so fine
Despite the wasted time, he cherishes the memories.
That my love still shines, shines on through
His love for his partner will always endure despite the break-up.
And my love still shines, shines on you
His partner will always hold a special place in his heart.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, GARY ANTHONY OSBORNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irma Crespo
Oh my love
I have cursed the stars above
That lead my heart to you
But as hard as I try
Still my love will not die
And the stars still shine on through
And the stars still shine on through
Oh my dear
Now this ship's too hard to steer
The tide has turned, turned on you
I have been through the lies
That I've seen in your eyes
But the truth still shines on through
But the truth it still shines, shines on through
So shine, shine on through the days we have to fill
Though we took our love so daringly
And gave it up uncaringly
There are feelings left not even we can kill
Oh my friend
So at last we reach the end
The lights go down on cue
I have wasted my time
But it tasted oh so fine
That my love still shines, shines on through
ldchappell1
Another awesome Elton John ballad. I love the obscure stuff from 1969 to about 1986
Favorite Elton John Obscurities.
Sails
I Need You To Turn To
Come Down In Time
Talking Old Soldiers
Holiday Inn
Rotten Peaches
Hercules
Teacher I Need You
Elderberry Wine
High Flying Bird
This Song Has No Title
I've Seen That Movie Too
Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-32)
Roy Rogers
Pinky
I've Seen The Saucers
Ticking
Sugar On The Floor
Tower Of Babel
Writing
We All Fall In Love Sometimes
Curtains
Dan Dare
Chameleon
Crazy Water
Shine On Through
Return To Paradise
Shooting Star
Song For Guy
Satorial Eloquence
Cara / Etude
Fanfare
Choloe
Legal Boys
All Quiet On The Western Front
Cold As Christmas (In The Middle Of The Year)
One More Arrow
Cry To Heaven
Gypsy Heart
I Fall Apart
tropicwave1
Shine On Through
Elton John
Album: A Single Man
Oh my love
I have cursed the stars above
That lead my heart to you
But as hard as I try
Still my love will not die
And the stars still shine on through
And the stars still shine on through
Oh my dear
Now this ship's too hard to steer
The tide has turned, turned on you
I have been through the lies
That I've seen in your eyes
But the truth still shines on through
But the truth it still shines, shines on through
So shine, shine on through the days we have to fill
Though we took our love so daringly
And gave it up uncaringly
There are feelings left not even we can kill
Oh my friend
So at last we reach the end
The lights go down on cue
I have wasted my time
But it tasted oh so fine
That my love still shines, shines on through
And my love still shines, shines on you
Written by Elton John, Gary Anthony Osborne • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group
℗ 1978 Mercury Records Limited
Leroy Jackson
Man, his voice is perfect here.
VolumedMusicMan
This track should be on one of EJ's greatest hits packages.
smiddlecn
This will always be, to me, one of the single best performances Elton has ever done. Thank you for sharing it.
plantamantha
same!
Georgette Neale
I love this performance! Simple elegant arrangement & heartfelt phrasing in his vocals. Thom Bell suggested to Elton to sing in a lower vocal register on these sessions, and it was a great suggestion. It gave Elton more tools with his full vocal range.💜
Bob Guerrero
Been an Elton fan since childhood and only heard this beautiful song now. The magic of YT.
Suzanne Sheridan
Same for me. Gorgeous song.
Sybren Zandstra
listen to his albums and find out more :)
Irma Crespo
Oh my love
I have cursed the stars above
That lead my heart to you
But as hard as I try
Still my love will not die
And the stars still shine on through
And the stars still shine on through
Oh my dear
Now this ship's too hard to steer
The tide has turned, turned on you
I have been through the lies
That I've seen in your eyes
But the truth still shines on through
But the truth it still shines, shines on through
So shine, shine on through the days we have to fill
Though we took our love so daringly
And gave it up uncaringly
There are feelings left not even we can kill
Oh my friend
So at last we reach the end
The lights go down on cue
I have wasted my time
But it tasted oh so fine
That my love still shines, shines on through
Osmand Eduardo
Buena letra y melodía ....grande la Elton