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 Border Song
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have seen the spectre he has been here too
Distant cousin from down the line
Brand of people who ain't my kind
Holy Moses I have been removed
Holy Moses I have been deceived
Now the wind has changed direction and I'll have to leave
Holy Moses I have been deceived
I'm going back to the border
Where my affairs, my affairs ain't abused
I can't take any more bad water
Been poisoned from my head down to my shoes
Holy Moses I have been deceived
Holy Moses let us live in peace
Let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease
There's a man over there
What's his colour I don't care
He's my brother let us live in peace
He's my brother let us live in peace
He's my brother let us live in peace
The lyrics of Elton John's Border Song talk about a sense of displacement and rejection that the singer feels. He has been removed and deceived, not by a specific person but by society in general. The lines "Brand of people who ain't my kind" indicate the feeling of being an outsider, not fitting into his social group. This alienation is compounded by the spectre's appearance, emphasising the feeling of being unwanted in a particular space. The singer decides to go back to the "border," where he feels he belongs and where his affairs won't be abused.
However, the song doesn't just talk about one person's struggle but also about larger societal issues. The last verse of the song addresses the larger issue of racism and prejudice, asking for peace and unity among people. The lines, "What's his colour I don't care," denote the fact that colour should not be the basis of one's judgement of others. The song promotes the idea of brotherhood and peace, calling for a world where people can live together in harmony and without hate.
Overall, Border Song is a commentary on society's intolerance towards people who are different and a call for understanding and acceptance. It implies that people need to break down the barriers of race, hate, and intolerance to achieve a world where everyone can coexist peacefully.
Line by Line Meaning
Holy Moses I have been removed
I feel like an outsider, like I don't belong here or fit in
I have seen the spectre he has been here too
I've witnessed some dark and scary stuff, and it's still present here
Distant cousin from down the line
People who share some blood or heritage, but seem so far removed from me
Brand of people who ain't my kind
A group who I don't identify with, who have different views or ways of life
Holy Moses I have been deceived
I've been tricked or lied to, and now I have to leave
Now the wind has changed direction and I'll have to leave
The situation has shifted, and I have to move on to something new
Won't you please excuse my frankness but it's not my cup of tea
I hope you don't mind me being honest, but this isn't something I enjoy or support
I'm going back to the border
I'm returning to a place where I feel more at ease or safe
Where my affairs, my affairs ain't abused
Where my business or personal matters aren't interfered with or taken advantage of
I can't take any more bad water
I can't handle any more negativity or harmful treatment
Been poisoned from my head down to my shoes
I've been corrupted or affected by this negativity in every part of me
Holy Moses let us live in peace
Let's find a way to coexist peacefully without conflict or hatred
Let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease
Let's work together to eradicate all animosity and ill will
There's a man over there
I see someone in the distance
What's his colour I don't care
His race or ethnicity isn't important to me
He's my brother let us live in peace
We're both humans, and we should treat each other with respect and kindness
He's my brother let us live in peace
We're both part of the same human family, and we should work together for good
He's my brother let us live in peace
Despite our differences, we're all connected and should seek harmony
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernie Taupin, Elton John
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scotthirko7286
Elton John's best song. People should listen to the lyrics. We need to listen to this today. It's an anthem.
@raindeerprojekt4119
Yeah, But there are Plenty of these songs... Good Song. But Folks Just don't get it.
@shoegal7
"He's my brother, let us live in peace". Words to live by.
@magorzatapiotrowska3943
To day this song is very important becouse the World is very unpeacefull
@alanyates3132
Makes me want to cry
@tansleypotts9486
@@alanyates3132 yes makes me very tearful loved Elton in the 70s
@loke5551
elton actually wrote that last verse
@linwoodwilliams5319
MAŁGORZATA PIOTROWSKA yes
@radiance65
One of Elton's most underrated songs.
@aj.mcgowan5593
i totally agree....