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)

Take Me Down to the Ocean
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take me down to the water
Take me back to the source
Call the meeting to order
And let it run its course

Take me back to my childhood
When I was so alone
Let me feel like a child would

Looking out across the great unknown

Take me down to the ocean
Take me down to the sea
Set the feeling in motion
Forget the tied up time and let my spirit free

Take away the illusion
Of the man, of the king
Help me lose the confusion
So I can breathe again

Take me down to the ocean
Take me down to the sea
Set the feeling in motion

So you can just be you and I can just be me
That's how I need to be

Overall Meaning

The song "Take Me Down to the Ocean" might be interpreted as a metaphor for returning to the source of one's being, of reconnecting with one's innermost self. The repetition of the phrase "take me" suggests a desire to be transported, to be taken away from the present and returned to a different time, a simpler time when things were easier and more innocent. This is reinforced by the reference to childhood, a time in life when one is often more connected to nature and to one's own desires and needs.

The ocean and the sea are also significant symbols in the song. Water is often associated with emotion, and the vastness and power of the ocean might represent the depth and strength of the singer's feelings. By asking to be taken down to the ocean, the singer may be seeking a release from the burdens of daily life, a chance to be fully immersed in the natural world and in his own emotions.

Overall, the lyrics suggest a desire for freedom, for a release from the constraints of society and of one's own mind. In order to find this freedom, the singer must be taken back to a simpler time, a time of innocence and wonder.

Line by Line Meaning

Take me down to the water
Bring me to the edge of the water

Take me back to the source
Bring me back to the origin or beginning

Call the meeting to order
Initiate a formal gathering or assembly

And let it run its course
Allow events to unfold naturally

Take me back to my childhood
Return me to my youth

When I was so alone
During a time of loneliness

Let me feel like a child would
Allow me to experience child-like emotions

Looking out across the great unknown
Observing the vast, unexplored terrain

Take me down to the ocean
Bring me to the sea

Take me down to the sea
Lead me to the water

Set the feeling in motion
Stir emotions within me