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)

Tartan Coloured Lady
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The grass in Ashfield Park is dying
Where everybody dreams of deeds of crime
And the Tartan Coloured Lady walks
Behind the water colours of my mind
And the Tartan Coloured Lady she is mine

People speak of willow trees in autumn
And my doesn't fit her anymore

And the Tartan Coloured Lady that I wanted
Talked of this place an hour or so before
And the Tartan Coloured Lady lost her

So if your crystal window isn't broken
And they've taken all the dust bins from your door
Take yourself the Tartan Coloured Lady
And smell the grass in Ashfield Park once more
See the trees in Ashfield Park once more

So I guess I'll read the comic books you've left me
And play marbles on the floor

And if the Tartan Coloured Lady calls me
Just tell her I won't be home till four

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Elton John's song "Tartan Coloured Lady" tell a story of nostalgia and lost love. The opening lines describe a park where the grass is dying, and where people dream of committing crimes. Yet, in the midst of this bleak setting, the singer has an image in his mind of the "Tartan Coloured Lady", who represents his lost love. She is a memory from another time, but she is still present in the singer's imagination.

As the song continues, the singer recalls conversations with the Tartan Coloured Lady about willow trees and other scenes from their past. He realizes that they have lost something that can never be regained, as she has moved on and does not fit into his life anymore. However, he still longs to see her again and return to a simpler time when they were together.

The final verse of the song reveals the singer's resignation. He will settle for playing marbles on the floor and reading comic books, as long as he can keep the memory of the Tartan Coloured Lady alive. He asks the listener to do the same, and to "smell the grass in Ashfield Park once more" and "see the trees in Ashfield Park once more", as a way of holding onto the past.

Overall, the song's lyrics are bittersweet and melancholic, evoking a sense of wistful longing for lost love and simpler times.

Line by Line Meaning

The grass in Ashfield Park is dying
The environment in Ashfield Park is declining that indicates something is wrong with the area.

Where everybody dreams of deeds of crime
The place is notorious for criminal activities and most people there are inclined towards crime.

And the Tartan Coloured Lady walks
In this undesirable place, there is a woman named Tartan Coloured Lady who roams around.

Behind the water colours of my mind
This Tartan Coloured Lady is only a figment of the singer's imagination or memories.

And the Tartan Coloured Lady she is mine
The singer can claim ownership or control over this lady, who only exists in his mind.

People speak of willow trees in autumn
The singer doesn't connect with the common topics of discussion in this area, for instance, nature or the changing of seasons.

And my doesn't fit her anymore
The singer's current situation or way of life doesn't align with what Tartan Coloured Lady desires or cherishes.

And the Tartan Coloured Lady that I wanted
The singer desires a version of Tartan Coloured Lady that is true to his wishes and imagination.

Talked of this place an hour or so before
This hypothetical idealised version of Tartan Coloured Lady supposedly talked about their shared environment, Ashfield Park, earlier.

And the Tartan Coloured Lady lost her
The imagined Tartan Coloured Lady lost something, possibly her innocence, in the grim environment of Ashfield Park.

So if your crystal window isn't broken
Assuming you are not blind to the harsh realities of the world around you,

And they've taken all the dust bins from your door
There is nothing left, even the basic necessities are taken away from you.

Take yourself the Tartan Coloured Lady
You should also have an imagined figure like Tartan Coloured Lady to cope with this lack and lead you through the tough times.

And smell the grass in Ashfield Park once more
Connect with the small things you still own and cherish them, even if it's as trivial as the smell of grass in the area where you live.

See the trees in Ashfield Park once more
Appreciate the beauty of nature and surroundings you have, despite how flawed they may be.

So I guess I'll read the comic books you've left me
The singer has to keep himself entertained and satisfied with what's available to him, even if it's just comic books someone left for him.

And play marbles on the floor
He has to do childish activities to distract himself from the depressing reality.

And if the Tartan Coloured Lady calls me
If the singer wants to immerse himself in the imagination of Tartan Coloured Lady again,

Just tell her I won't be home till four
He won't be available until a certain period, which gives him the space to indulge in his fantasies.

Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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