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)
Sweat It Out
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peace keepers keep on breathing
Can't deny eye for eye
It's open season
Dictate to my reason
She devils ruling Britain
Hey girl stick it in your purse
Call it treason
Band aids on dead doorways
No heroes in the Bat Cave
Don't give me Tears For Fears
Give me tears of rage
Fires burn with black smoke
Oil slicks put us on the ropes
Man it's hard to handle
When the bank's broke
Don't kow-tow, don't bow down
Loosen up, get the lead out
Backs up let them shout
Backs up sweat it out
When your back's up, sweat it out
Backs up, sweat it out
Hope froze in the cold weather
No ice on a greasy river
Liberty and John Doe
Stand and Shiver
War waits when the lines form
The baby sitter in a uniform
Knocking down your door
For your rice and corn
The lyrics of Elton John's "Sweat It Out" paint a picture of a society in chaos. The opening lines, "No ceiling on hard living, peace keepers keep on breathing," suggest that society is struggling, with hard living being a normal way of life and peacekeeping as necessary for survival. The following line, "Can't deny eye for eye, it's open season," suggests that violence and revenge are rampant with no justice or order in place. The theme of chaos continues with the lines, "Dictate to my reason, she devils ruling Britain," which depicts a society controlled by female tyrants.
Throughout the rest of the song, John uses metaphors and subtle references to illustrate the chaos. For instance, "Band aids on dead" portrays a society that is merely covering up its problems instead of addressing them, while "No heroes in the Bat Cave" suggests that the people have no one to look up to or idolize. He goes on to mention the greed of those in power, the devastating effects of oil spills, and the desperation that sets in when the money runs out. Ultimately, the song is a call to action, urging people to stand up, work hard, and not give in to despair.
Overall, "Sweat It Out" is a powerful commentary on society and its current state. It highlights the need for change and urges people to take responsibility for their lives and their world.
Line by Line Meaning
No ceiling on hard living
No limits on the difficulties we must face in our lives
Peace keepers keep on breathing
Despite the conflicts in the world, those who work to maintain peace continue to persevere
Can't deny eye for eye
Retribution cannot be denied
It's open season
Anything goes
Dictate to my reason
My thoughts are being controlled
She devils ruling Britain
This line is likely a reference to the political climate of Britain at the time, with John expressing his dissatisfaction with the leadership
Hey girl stick it in your purse
An exhortation for someone to take responsibility for something
Call it treason
Describing someone's actions as treasonous or disloyal
Band aids on dead doorways
Attempts to fix a situation that is already beyond repair
No heroes in the Bat Cave
A subversion of the notion that there are always heroes who will come to save the day
Don't give me Tears For Fears
I don't want to hear music that is sad or depressing
Give me tears of rage
I want to feel anger and frustration instead
Fires burn with black smoke
The consequences of actions can be damaging
Oil slicks put us on the ropes
The environmental impact of oil spills is devastating
Man it's hard to handle
It's difficult to cope with these circumstances
When the bank's broke
When there is no money left
Don't kow-tow, don't bow down
Don't submit to authority or give in to pressure
Loosen up, get the lead out
Relax and get rid of any burdens weighing you down
Backs up let them shout
You don't have to respond to every criticism or attack
Backs up sweat it out
Push through the challenges and difficulties
When your back's up, sweat it out
When you're facing adversity, keep working hard
Hope froze in the cold weather
Even hope can be hindered by difficult circumstances
No ice on a greasy river
The situation is not what it seems and is more complicated than it appears
Liberty and John Doe
The freedom of ordinary people
Stand and Shiver
Being afraid and uncertain in the face of danger or change
War waits when the lines form
Strife or conflict is always a possibility when there is a dividing line between groups
The baby sitter in a uniform
A reference to oppressive authority figures who seem to be taking control
Knocking down your door
Invading your space or infringing on your rights
For your rice and corn
For something as basic and essential as food
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD J.P. TAUPIN, 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.....