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)
Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mmm he's blind and he's old
And there's a bottle that rolls down the road
Me I'm young and I'm so wild
And I still feel the need
Of your apron strings once in a while
For there's taxi cabs hooting
But I can't be foot-loose forever
My darling she's a dear one
My head's feeling light as a feather
Take my ears and tell me when the whistle blows
Wake me up and tell me when the whistle blows
Long lost and lonely boy
You're just a black sheep going home
I want to feel your wheels of steel
Underneath my itching heels
Take my money
Tell me when the whistle blows
Part of me asked the young man for the time
With a cool vacant stare, of undue concern
He said nine
It's not so bad but I really do love the land
And rather all this than those diamante lovers
In Hyde Park holding hands
Blowing heat through my fingers
Trying to kill off this cold
Will the street kids remember
Can I still shoot a fast cue
Has this country kid still got his soul
Take my ears and tell me when the whistle blows
Wake me up and tell me when the whistle blows
Long lost and lonely boy
You're just a black sheep going home
I want to feel your wheels of steel
Underneath my itching heels
Take my money
Tell me when the whistle blows
Take my money
Tell me when the whistle blows
The lyrics of Elton John's song "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" depict a contrast between youth and old age, as well as a longing to return to one's roots. The first stanza introduces two characters: a blind and old man lying in a gutter and a young and wild protagonist who occasionally feels the need for the comfort of his mother's love. The singer recognizes that he cannot be carefree forever, indicated by the presence of taxi cabs on the street, but he can still feel light-headed and joyful.
The chorus "Take my ears and tell me when the whistle blows, Wake me up and tell me when the whistle blows," represents a desire to be awoken from everyday life and reminded of something of greater value. The singer feels like a "long lost and lonely boy" and a "black sheep going home," wanting to feel the excitement of travelling again, longing for adventure and the rush of the rails. He wants to feel the steel of the train tracks on his feet and hands, telling the person he gives his money to for the ticket to "tell me when the whistle blows" so he can be alert and conscious for the ride.
In the second verse, the singer is confronted by, and feels out of place among, a younger generation represented by the vacant-eyed young man. He prefers his simpler rural life over the complexities of urban leisure, and he mistrusts those with pretentious tastes or way of life. The lyrics suggest that, despite his doubts, he yearns for the simplicity and familiarity of his home and background, as indicated by his strong desire to feel his roots and to know whether his skills have diminished.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a dusty old gutter, he's lying in now
There is an old man lying in a dusty gutter
Mmm he's blind and he's old
He is both blind and old
And there's a bottle that rolls down the road
A bottle is rolling down the road
Me I'm young and I'm so wild
The artist is young and full of energy
And I still feel the need
Despite being young, the artist still has emotional needs
Of your apron strings once in a while
The singer occasionally wants to rely on his caregiver
For there's taxi cabs hooting
Taxi cabs are honking their horns
But I can't be foot-loose forever
The artist knows that he cannot be carefree forever
My suitcase it's a cheap one
The artist's suitcase is not expensive
My darling she's a dear one
The artist's lover is very dear to him
My head's feeling light as a feather
The singer is feeling carefree and happy
Take my ears and tell me when the whistle blows
The artist wants someone to wake him up when the train whistle blows
Wake me up and tell me when the whistle blows
The singer wants to be woken up when the train whistle blows
Long lost and lonely boy
The singer feels isolated and alone
You're just a black sheep going home
The singer feels like an outsider returning home
I want to feel your wheels of steel
The artist wants to feel the train moving under his feet
Underneath my itching heels
The artist is eager to travel
Take my money
The singer is willing to pay for his train travel
Part of me asked the young man for the time
The singer asked a young man for the time
With a cool vacant stare, of undue concern
The young man's stare was empty and indifferent
He said nine
The young man said it was nine o'clock
It's not so bad but I really do love the land
The artist loves the country despite its flaws
And rather all this than those diamante lovers
The singer would prefer the countryside to a city filled with superficial romances
In Hyde Park holding hands
The artist is referencing a particular location in London where couples often go on romantic walks
Blowing heat through my fingers
The singer is trying to keep his hands warm
Trying to kill off this cold
The singer is trying to stay warm
Will the street kids remember
The singer wonders if the local children will remember him
Can I still shoot a fast cue
The artist is referring to his ability to play pool as a skill that he hopes he has not lost
Has this country kid still got his soul
The artist questions if he has kept his true identity while living in the city
Take my money
The singer is willing to pay for his train travel
Tell me when the whistle blows
The singer wants to be told when the train whistle blows
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: 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.....