Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist, and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, John is one of the most successful artists of all time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide in a seven-decade career in music. He is acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, and his lasting impact on the music industry. John's music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

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)

Street Boogie
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Street guys walking, dancing
Sidewalk music, hot thing
They got their boxes tuned into their favorite show
As they truck on down the road
Is that the radio?
Yes, that's the radio
Let it go, let it go, let it go

Street boogie got a hold on me
Street boogie gonna set me free
Street boogie keeps a hold on me
It's all right, it's all right, it's all right with me

Street boogie - it's the city beat
Street boogie on the boogie street
Street boogie, yeah, and that's for me
Street boogie, street boogie, street boogie, street boogie

Traffic skater rolling
Sharing music, sure thing
He got his shoulder holster turned a way up loud
As he wheels his way around
Is that the radio?
Yes, that's the radio
Catch the sound, catch the sound, catch the sound

Boogie, street boogie
Boogie, street boogie

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Elton John's song Street Boogie speak of the hold that street music has on people. The song describes street guys walking down the road, dancing to the beat of the sidewalk music. It talks about how they carry their boxes tuned into their favorite show and how they truck on down the road. As they move, they hear the sound of the radio and they let it go, allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the music.

The chorus of the song repeats itself several times, speaking of how the Street Boogie has a hold on the people, manipulating and freeing them. The music is described as the city beat, which is obvious as one moves down the boogie street. The song also mentions the traffic skater who shares the music and has his shoulder holster turned a way up loud as he wheels his way around. As he moves, he catches the sound, and the boogie gets more intense.

Overall, the lyrics talk about the power of music and how it can take over the human mind, freeing it from all which holds them down. It tells of how each person on the street is connected by this music, which keeps them going.

Line by Line Meaning

Street guys walking, dancing
Men on the street moving and grooving to the beat

Sidewalk music, hot thing
The music on the street is the latest and greatest

They got their boxes tuned into their favorite show
People are carrying their radios to listen to their favorite tunes

As they truck on down the road
As they walk down the street

Is that the radio?
Are they really listening to the radio?

Yes, that's the radio
Yes, they are really listening to the radio

Let it go, let it go, let it go
Just enjoy the music and let it take you away

Street boogie got a hold on me
The rhythm of the street music has taken a hold of me

Street boogie gonna set me free
The street music will set me free from my troubles

Street boogie keeps a hold on me
The beat of the street music continues to captivate me

It's all right, it's all right, it's all right with me
I'm okay with the hold the street music has on me