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 Bridge
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they built it high, and they built it strong
Strong enough to hold the weight of time
Long enough to leave some of us behind
[Chorus]
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
Standing on the bridge, looking at the waves
Seen so many jump, never seen one saved
On a distant beach your song can die
On a bitter wind, on a cruel tide
[Chorus]
And the bridge - it shines
Oh, cold hard iron
Saying come and risk it all
Or die trying
[Chorus]
The Bridge by Elton John is a reflective song about the inevitability of death and the choices we make in life. It describes a bridge that is strong and high enough to withstand the test of time and how every person must face the decision of whether to cross the bridge or simply fade away. The chorus presents this decision as a choice between taking action or giving up.
The second stanza signals the consequences of not making a decision. Looking at the waves below, the singer has seen many people who have jumped from the bridge, but no one has been saved. The distant beach symbolizes the afterlife and suggests that one's legacy can die if they allow themselves to be swept away by the tide of time. The chorus repeats, emphasizing that this is a critical decision that every one of us must make.
The final stanza describes the bridge as cold, hard iron and encourages the listener to come and risk it all or die trying. The shine of the bridge may represent the allure of fame, success or fortune, but the cold hard iron implies that these things are fleeting and superficial. Overall, the bridge symbolizes the journey from life to death and the importance of taking action and leaving our mark on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen the bridge, and the bridge is long
I've been through a lot and it has taken a long time to reach this point
And they built it high, and they built it strong
Obstacles were put in place to make things difficult for me, but I overcame them
Strong enough to hold the weight of time
I have made it through many challenges, and I am still standing
Long enough to leave some of us behind
Not everyone is strong enough to make it through the same challenges that I did
And every one of us has to face that day
At some point, we all have to face the consequences of our actions
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
Do you take the risk and face the consequences, or do you give up and fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Everyone who has ever had a goal or dream to pursue
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
We all have to face the risk and consequences of going after our goals, or we risk fading away and not making a difference
Standing on the bridge, looking at the waves
Standing on the edge of a decision, looking at the possible outcomes
Seen so many jump, never seen one saved
Many people take risks, but not everyone is successful
On a distant beach your song can die
If you don't take the risk, your inspiration and hope can die out
On a bitter wind, on a cruel tide
There are often uncontrollable factors that make the risk even more difficult
And the bridge - it shines
The risk is tempting and alluring
Oh, cold hard iron
The risk is dangerous and cold, and not everyone will make it through
Saying come and risk it all
The reward is worth the risk, and the bridge beckons us to take the plunge
Or die trying
Even if we don't make it, we have to try
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jraekelly
I’ve seen the bridge and the bridge is long
And they built it high, and they built it strong
Strong enough to hold the weight of time
Long enough to leave some of us behind
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
Standing on the bridge, looking at the waves
Seen so many jump, never seen one saved
On a distant beach your song can die
On a bitter wind, on a cruel tide
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
And the bridge - it shines
Oh, cold hard iron
Saying come and risk it all
Or die trying.
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
@user-bv7wt9wn1m
LyricsVideosListen
I've seen the bridge, and the bridge is long
And they built it high, and they built it strong
Strong enough to hold the weight of time
Long enough to leave some of us behind
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
Standing on the bridge, looking at the waves
Seen so many jump, never seen one saved
On a distant beach your song can die
On a bitter wind, on a cruel tide
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
And the bridge - it shines
Oh, cold hard iron
Saying come and risk it all
Or die trying
And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away?
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away
@contemporaryschoolofpiano
This is one of the finest songs that Elton and Bernie have ever written, despite it not being well known. But just like Tiny Dancer (which was not known in its time) this song will find it's place, the great Elton songs always do.
@davidbradley2294
This song got to me like Elton hadn't in many years. A masterpiece.
@Teach1ization
Love this song, can listen to it over and over. This album was most definetly under rated.
@pottersongs
Elton's songs are normally a masterpiece of excellence , this song does not shy away from that fact ,
He is a listening pleasure,
D ..
@untitledfan3660
This song sounds like the end of a good movie... Brilliant masterpiece sir elton!
@MaxJackson1975
There are many good pianist, but this guy has always knocked it out of the park.
@dietergraham8085
nikita Graham
@depchemode7943
Great song, great words, thanks, Sir Elton John, you are The One…..
@kaylynn36
This whole album is beautiful.
@MrGabeanator
yes it is