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)
Sugar On The Floor
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you give me your life
I toss it to one side
Still you're sweeter to me
When we lie on the shore
It's warm where you are
But my lips just don't burn
When you try to be kind
Could I ask for more
Looking at you now I know you only want to find me
Still I need a reason to leave the past behind me
Behind me
There ain't no easy way
To learn how to fly
I hope that I can kill
When I turn around you're there
Should I ask for more
I feel like sugar on the floor
I feel like sugar on the floor
In Elton John's song "Sugar On The Floor," the singer describes the conflicting emotions he feels towards a person who is a stranger to him, yet has given him their life. The singer expresses his feelings of insecurity at this show of kindness and questions whether he has the right to ask for more. Despite these feelings, the singer finds comfort in being with the other person and feels sweeter when they lie together on the shore.
The singer admits that he needs a reason to leave the past behind and move on with this stranger. He acknowledges that it won't be easy to learn how to fly and grow as a person. The lyrics contain an extended metaphor comparing the singer's feelings to being sugar on the floor, which can be interpreted in various ways. Sugar on the floor can be seen as a symbol of something that is sweet but easily discarded or stepped on. It may also symbolize the uncertainty and doubts that come with a new relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sugar On The Floor" depict the complex emotions that come with embarking on a new relationship and the struggles that come with leaving the past behind.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a stranger to me
I don't really know you
Then you give me your life
You reveal personal information to me
I toss it to one side
I disregard what you tell me
Still you're sweeter to me
Despite this, I still find you attractive
When we lie on the shore
When we are relaxing on the beach
It's warm where you are
You have a comfortable presence
But my lips just don't burn
I don't feel a passionate connection with you
I feel so insecure
I feel uncertain and vulnerable
When you try to be kind
When you show me kindness
Could I ask for more
I wonder if I could expect more
Looking at you now I know you only want to find me
I realize that your intention is to connect with me
Still I need a reason to leave the past behind me
But I struggle to let go of my history and move forward with you
Behind me
In the past
There ain't no easy way
It's not simple to move on
To learn how to fly
To become free and soar
I hope that I can kill
I hope that I can overcome this challenge
When I turn around you're there
When I need you, you are there for me
Should I ask for more
I wonder if I'm entitled to ask for more
I feel like sugar on the floor
I feel used and neglected
I feel like sugar on the floor
I feel like my worth is being overlooked in this situation
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stuart Smith
Great song written by Kiki Dee. Elton does a fabulous job here.
cricketbat09
Elton was incredible in the early to mid seventies.
Tasty Pies
Everything he touched turned to gold. He was... King Midas.
Kimberly Barr
Brilliant vocal! Should have a hit. Holds up even to this day! Elton is the best!
Kees van der Aa
This showed me that he is one of the great blues singers ever
Yankees4ever
I am in disbelief that this wasn't squeezed in on the Rock of the Westies album. It would have been the album's BEST track. EJ fan since 1975.
Dan Ziehli
Indeed.
Michelle Biland
A great song. I only discovered it in the last few years considering this came out originally as a vinyl in the 1970's. Kikki Dee wrote the lyrics apparently. 👍 Brilliant Kikkii and Elton 💜💜💜
Tom Markel
Kiki Dee (1 k) wrote the song music & lyrics.
Holger Rune Fan
I remember buying this 45 as a kid and never liked Island Girl. But this B-side has always remained one of my favorite Elton songs.