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)
Simple Life
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the runway
And the timeless flights are gone
I'm a year ahead of myself these days
And I'm locomotive strong
My city
Spread like cannon fire
In a yellow nervous state
To horoscopes and fate
And I won't break
And I won't bend
But someday soon we'll sail away
To innocence
And the bitter end
And I won't break
And I won't bend
And with the last breath we ever take
We're gonna get back
To the simple life again
Oh, all right!
When we break out
Of this blindfold
I'm gonna take you from this place
Until we're free from this ball and chain
I'm still hard behind the eight
My city
Beats like hammered steel
On a shallow cruel rock
If we could walk proud after midnight
We'd never have to stop
And I won't break
And I won't bend
But someday soon we'll sail away
To innocence
And the bitter end
And I won't break
And I won't bend
And with the last breath we ever take
We're gonna get back
To the simple life again
All right!
And I won't break
And I won't bend
But someday soon we'll sail away
To innocence
And the bitter end
And I won't break
And I won't bend
And with the last breath we ever take
We're gonna get back
To the simple life again
And I won't break
And I won't bend
But someday soon we'll sail away
To innocence
And the bitter end
And I won't break
I won't bend
And with the last breath we ever take
We're gonna get back
To the simple life again
Hey, oh yeah!
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
The lyrics of Elton John's "Simple Life" offer a commentary on the modern world and the complexities of life lived in a fast-paced, ever-changing society. The opening lines talk about a "breakdown on the runway," implying a world in which things are not working as they should. The "timeless flights" have disappeared, suggesting that we have lost something important that we cannot get back. The singer longs to return to an earlier, simpler time, but he recognizes that this may not be possible: "I'm a year ahead of myself these days," he admits, "and I'm locomotive strong." He is caught up in the hectic pace of urban life, living in "a yellow nervous state," and unable to escape his fate, even though he longs to do so.
The second verse continues this theme, describing the city as "beating like hammered steel on a shallow cruel rock." The singer wishes he could "walk proud after midnight" without having to stop, but he is trapped by the demands of modern life. Nonetheless, he remains determined not to "break" or "bend," suggesting that he will find a way to endure no matter what. The song ends with a repeated chorus in which the singer promises to "get back to the simple life again" even as he acknowledges that this may be difficult. Ultimately, the message of the song seems to be one of hope – that even in the most difficult of circumstances, it is possible to find a way to live a simpler, more fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a breakdown
The current situation seems to be falling apart.
On the runway
Like an aircraft in the middle of a runway, life has come to a standstill.
And the timeless flights are gone
The past experiences that made life worth living are now memories.
I'm a year ahead of myself these days
I'm constantly planning for a future that's yet to come.
And I'm locomotive strong
I am determined and focused.
My city
The place where I live and work.
Spread like cannon fire
Expanding and growing rapidly.
In a yellow nervous state
Living in a constant state of anxiety.
I can't cut the ties that bind me
I feel trapped and unable to escape.
To horoscopes and fate
I cling to the idea that astrology and destiny rule my life.
And I won't break
I won't give up or give in.
And I won't bend
I won't compromise my values or beliefs.
But someday soon we'll sail away
I have hope for a better future.
To innocence
I yearn for a simpler time when life was easier.
And the bitter end
I know that life is not always easy and will end eventually.
And with the last breath we ever take
At the end of our lives, we will look back on the choices we made.
We're gonna get back
We will find a way to restore the simplicity we once knew.
To the simple life again
To a time when life was less complicated and less stressful.
When we break out
When we finally escape our current situation.
Of this blindfold
Of the things that are preventing us from moving forward.
I'm gonna take you from this place
I will be your guide to a better life.
Until we're free from this ball and chain
Until we are no longer weighed down by our problems.
I'm still hard behind the eight
I'm still having a hard time and struggling.
My city
The place where I live and work.
Beats like hammered steel
The city is full of life and energy.
On a shallow cruel rock
Although things seem stable, the foundation is not strong and can crumble.
If we could walk proud after midnight
If we could overcome our struggles and be confident despite the darkness.
We'd never have to stop
We would be able to continue moving towards our dreams.
Hey, oh yeah!
An expression of excitement and optimism.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernard J. P. Taupin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luzia Rocha
Esse homem é emoção pura. Maravilhoso!!# Único.
Wagner Cabrerisso
30 years ago and once again, another great album - The One !! Sir Elton John has been the soundtrack of my entire life since long, long time ago. A remastered person, he's still standing after all this time. I'll love him and his music til'the end of times.🤗💓🇧🇷🙏
Robert Wieser
Couldn’t have said it better myself!! Thanks Elton!
Eillen Ryan
50 years long time fan here!🙏✌🤝👍🎹 🚀 🎹🚀
Roseli 🌹Rosinha canal simples
Muito boa música 😍💞🎵🎵🎵
The Black Angel
Todo lo que hace este hombre es una gran obra de arte ,me encantan sus canciones tan perfectas ❤️🎶
Danny Costello
Great song. And a fantastic album. Never forgotten in these parts.
Magic Knight
Such a great song, sounds good to this day
Eileen Ryan
Of course, it's ELTON!
andersonanne64
I love that Song, Elton John always know"s how to place life in his Song's, he feel's the Magic of Music, it's life ❤