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)

The Gods Love Nubia
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take me in my dreams recurring
Cheerful as a childhood dance
Into one more taste of freedom
One more longing backward glance

In the sway of somber music
I shall never, never understand
Let me slip into the sweeter

Chorus of that other land

The gods love Nubia, the beautiful, the golden
The radiant, the fertile, the gentle and the blessed
The pain of Nubia is only of the moment
The desolate, the suffering, the plundered, the oppressed

The gods love Nubia, the glorious creation
The songs roll sweetly across the harvest plain
The tears of Nubia, a passing aberration
They wash into the river and are never cried again

The gods love Nubia, we have to keep believing
The scattered and divided, we are still it's heart

The fall of Nubia, ephemeral and fleeting
The spirit always burning though the flesh is torn apart

Overall Meaning

The song "The Gods Love Nubia" by Elton John is a powerful piece that speaks about the beauty, pain, and resilience of Nubia. The lyrics are about the singer's longing for freedom and their desire to escape into a different world. The singer asks to be taken into their dreams, a place where they can experience the sweetness of life and leave behind the somber realities of their current situation. The singer talks about the pain of Nubia, but also its beauty and radiance. They speak of how the land is fertile and gentle, blessed and glorious. The song also acknowledges the suffering of the people in Nubia but speaks about their strength and resilience.

The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, with its repeated refrain of "The gods love Nubia." This line speaks to the idea that, despite the pain and suffering experienced by the people of Nubia, they are still loved and valued by a higher power. It is a message of hope and faith in the face of adversity.

Overall, "The Gods Love Nubia" is a song that celebrates the strength, beauty, and resilience of a people and a land that have faced immense challenges throughout history.

Line by Line Meaning

Take me in my dreams recurring
Bring me to Nubia, the land of my dreams that I long for and think about often

Cheerful as a childhood dance
Nubia fills me with joy and happiness, like memories of a happy childhood dance

Into one more taste of freedom
Let me experience freedom once again in Nubia, even if only briefly

One more longing backward glance
Let me take one last look back at the past, before I fully embrace my future in Nubia

In the sway of somber music
Even though the music is sad and melancholy, it captures the essence of Nubia's history and struggles

I shall never, never understand
The oppression and suffering that the people of Nubia have endured is something I will never truly comprehend

Let me slip into the sweeter
Allow me to escape from the harsh reality of the world and enter into a world that is more pure and beautiful

Chorus of that other land
The beautiful and harmonious songs of Nubia that I yearn to hear

The gods love Nubia, the beautiful, the golden
The gods hold Nubia in high esteem, as a beautiful and valuable creation

The radiant, the fertile, the gentle and the blessed
Nubia is a land of abundance and grace, blessed by the gods

The pain of Nubia is only of the moment
Though Nubia has endured much pain and suffering, it is only temporary and one day it will be free from it

The desolate, the suffering, the plundered, the oppressed
Nubia has suffered greatly, from desolation and loss to oppression and robbery

The gods love Nubia, the glorious creation
The creation of Nubia is a glorification of the gods, as it is a beautiful and bountiful land

The songs roll sweetly across the harvest plain
The songs of Nubia are joyful and life-giving, especially during the time of harvest

The tears of Nubia, a passing aberration
The sorrow and tears of Nubia will soon pass and be replaced by joy and happiness

They wash into the river and are never cried again
The tears of Nubia are washed away into the river, never to be cried again

The gods love Nubia, we have to keep believing
Despite the many hardships and struggles faced by the people of Nubia, they must keep their faith in the gods and their love for their land

The scattered and divided, we are still it's heart
Even though the people of Nubia are displaced and separated, they still hold Nubia in their hearts

The fall of Nubia, ephemeral and fleeting
Although Nubia may fall and be forgotten by some, it is only temporary and will rise again

The spirit always burning though the flesh is torn apart
Even though the people of Nubia may suffer physically, their spirit and love for their land will always remain strong

Contributed by Zachary L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS