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)
Shoulder Holster
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it was just like Stagger Lee
Dolly Summers was a simple girl
From a mid-west family
With a stucco home and her own Mustang
And a charge account at Sears
She had everything that a girl could want
To live happy for the rest of her years
But the thing that she wanted most of all
Was the thing that she had lost
To the arms of a downtown blackjack hustler
By the name of Candyfloss
They'd skipped town on a late-night train
Heading for the West
Dolly slipped behind the wheel of her Mustang
With a piece between her breast
She put a pistol in her shoulder holster
She took her car up from Santa Fe
Yesterday morning she was washing dishes
Now she's hunting down a runaway
Don't judge a man by a misdemeanor
You may be sorry when his light goes out
Don't put that pistol in your shoulder holster
You can never, never tell if the Law's about
If it seemed just like a movie
Or a night of bad TV
They should have had a picture of Dolly's face
As she drove across country
With daggers drawn for her fallen man
And venom in her heart
It was nearly dawn when she caught them up
Making out in a picnic park
But the thing that shook her rigid
As she fumbled for her gun
Was the state of the man that she'd married once
And thought of as the only one
And as she looked back on the chances
That she'd passed up at home
Well, she quietly dumped her pistol in a ditch
And she headed home alone
The lyrics to Elton John’s song “Shoulder Holster” tell the story of Dolly Summers, a simple girl from the mid-west who had everything she needed to live a happy life, but the thing she wanted most was the love of her life who she had lost to Candyfloss, a blackjack hustler. In a bid to get her man back, Dolly puts a pistol in her shoulder holster and sets off in her Mustang, determined to hunt down her runaway love.
As Dolly embarks on her mission to find her man, the song references popular songs “Frankie and Johnny” and “Stagger Lee” which were both popularized in the early 20th century and often referenced in popular culture. As Dolly finally catches up with her man and Candyfloss making out in a picnic park, she is left shocked by the state of the man she had so dearly loved but also reminded of the chances she had passed up at home. In a twist ending, Dolly quietly dumps her pistol in a ditch and heads home alone, perhaps realizing that love isn’t worth seeking at any cost.
“Shoulder Holster” is a deeply introspective song about the lengths we will go for love and the consequences of our actions. It reminds us that sometimes what we want isn’t always what we need and that love can blind us to the reality of a situation. The song is a testament to Elton John’s storytelling abilities and is beloved by many of his fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, it was just like Frankie and Johnny
It was a story familiar to all with a lover's quarrel that leads to tragic ends.
And it was just like Stagger Lee
This tale had a resemblance to other sensationalized stories of revenge and crime.
Dolly Summers was a simple girl
The focus of the story, Dolly Summers was an average woman from the Midwest.
From a mid-west family
Dolly came from a middle-class family with working-class roots.
With a stucco home and her own Mustang
Dolly had achieved the American dream, with a house and a car of her own.
And a charge account at Sears
She had financial stability, with the ability to buy what she needed on credit.
She had everything that a girl could want
Dolly had all the material possessions that should bring happiness.
To live happy for the rest of her years
She expected this level of happiness to last.
But the thing that she wanted most of all
What Dolly wanted more than anything was missing from her life.
Was the thing that she had lost
Her greatest desire was something she no longer had.
To the arms of a downtown blackjack hustler
Dolly's true love was a gambler and small-time criminal.
By the name of Candyfloss
Her boyfriend's name was Candyfloss, possibly a nickname.
They'd skipped town on a late-night train
The couple fled from town under cover of darkness.
Heading for the West
They headed towards the western United States.
Dolly slipped behind the wheel of her Mustang
Dolly took the wheel of her car.
With a piece between her breast
She carried a pistol close to her chest
She put a pistol in her shoulder holster
Dolly armed herself with a gun.
She took her car up from Santa Fe
She drove from Santa Fe in pursuit of her runaway lover.
Yesterday morning she was washing dishes
Just yesterday, Dolly was living a routine domestic life.
Now she's hunting down a runaway
Now she's become something of a vigilante pursuer.
Don't judge a man by a misdemeanor
Don't think poorly of someone just because of a small criminal act.
You may be sorry when his light goes out
You may regret unfairly judging someone when it's too late.
Don't put that pistol in your shoulder holster
Don't be too quick to rely on violence to solve your problems.
You can never, never tell if the Law's about
You can never predict when the law will catch up with you.
If it seemed just like a movie
If the story seemed like a work of fiction
Or a night of bad TV
Or a corny television show
They should have had a picture of Dolly's face
They should have captured Dolly's determination on film.
As she drove across country
As Dolly made her way across the US
With daggers drawn for her fallen man
Dolly was ready to take revenge on her wayward spouse.
And venom in her heart
Dolly was angry and full of resentment.
It was nearly dawn when she caught them up
Dolly pursued them through the night, finally catching up to them at dawn.
Making out in a picnic park
She found her lover wrapped up in a romantic moment with Candyfloss.
But the thing that shook her rigid
What caught her off guard
As she fumbled for her gun
As she reached for her pistol
Was the state of the man that she'd married once
What surprised Dolly was the physical condition of the man she married.
And thought of as the only one
Whom she once believed was her one and only love.
And as she looked back on the chances
As she thought about the different paths her life may have taken
That she'd passed up at home
And the alternate life she may have led if she had stayed at home.
Well, she quietly dumped her pistol in a ditch
Dolly let go of the anger and violence that drove her through the night.
And she headed home alone
Dolly returned alone to her former life, a changed woman.
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.....