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)
The Big Picture
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The path of time, The sunsets up ahead, roll along,
In your eyes, the option of a warm embrace implies,
You're my friend, happy endings keep our love alive.
And tell me do I fit in the Big Picture,
Do I have a shot, at the big part,
'Cause I've been up all night,
I've got some good lines for my big star,
Wanna be your main man in the Big Picture,
What a deal, to get a part like this,
Day to day, the shifting wind just blows us on our way,
Here and there, our pockets full of things to say,
Oh my love, I proudly represent you in this world,
Little satellite, brightest star tonight, oh my love,
And tell me do I fit in the Big Picture,
Do I have a shot, at the big part,
'Cause I've been up all night,
Looking at the Big Picture,
I've got some good lines for my big star,
Hope I got a future in the Big Picture,
At the last embrace, from the first kiss,
And tell me do I fit in the Big Picture,
Do I have a shot, at the big part,
'Cause I've been up all night,
Looking at the Big Picture,
I've got some good lines for my big star.
The song "The Big Picture" by Elton John is a reflection on life and love. The lyrics speak of the constant flow of time and the fact that life goes on regardless of our individual experiences. The sunsets that roll along represent the passage of time and the changing circumstances that we all face.
The main theme of the song is love and the desire to be loved. The lyrics express a longing to be part of something bigger and to make a meaningful contribution to the world. The singer's desire to fit into the "Big Picture" and to have a shot at the big part is a metaphor for the human desire to be significant and to make a difference in the world. He wants to be someone's "main man" and to represent his love in the world as a "little satellite."
The song also touches on the idea of hope and the future. The singer wants to have a future in the "Big Picture" and hopes for the last embrace and first kiss with his love. He has some good lines for his "big star" and is hopeful that he will have a chance to shine. Overall, the song is a beautiful reflection on the enduring human desire for love, significance, and hope in the face of the constant flow of time.
Line by Line Meaning
On and on, the story of our lives go on and on,
Life is a continuous journey that goes on and on.
The path of time, The sunsets up ahead, roll along,
As time passes, the future awaits with endless possibilities.
In your eyes, the option of a warm embrace implies,
You provide comfort and support, and I am grateful for that.
You're my friend, happy endings keep our love alive.
Our friendship thrives on happy endings and it brings us closer together.
And tell me do I fit in the Big Picture,
Am I a part of your grand dreams and plans for the future?
Do I have a shot, at the big part,
Is there a place for me in your grand scheme of things?
'Cause I've been up all night,
I've been restless and unable to sleep.
Looking at the Big Picture,
Contemplating about the future and the possibilities it holds.
I've got some good lines for my big star,
I have great ideas and plans for the future.
Wanna be your main man in the Big Picture,
I want to be an integral part of your future plans and goals.
What a deal, to get a part like this,
It would be amazing to be included in such big plans.
Day to day, the shifting wind just blows us on our way,
We never know what each day will bring us and we must go with the flow.
Here and there, our pockets full of things to say,
We have so many things to share and express to each other.
Oh my love, I proudly represent you in this world,
I am happy to be a part of your life and proudly show off our connection to others.
Little satellite, brightest star tonight, oh my love,
You are special to me and shine the brightest like a star in the night sky.
Hope I got a future in the Big Picture,
I hope to have a place in your future plans and aspirations.
At the last embrace, from the first kiss,
From the beginning of our relationship to the end, I want to be with you.
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.....