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 Greatest Discovery
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The grubby hands that gripped the rail
Wiped the window clean of frost
As the morning air laid on the latch
A whistle awakened someone there
Next door to the nursery just down the hall
A strange new sound you never heard before
Tread neat so small those little feet
Amid the morning his small heart beats
So much excitement yesterday
That must be rewarded must be displayed
Large hands lift him through the air
Excited eyes contain him there
The eyes of those he loves and knows
But what's this extra bed just here
His puzzled head tipped to one side
Amazement swims in those bright green eyes
Glancing down upon this thing
That make strange sounds, strange sounds that sing
In those silent happy seconds
That surround the sound of this event
A parent smile is made in moments
They have made for you a friend
And all you ever learned from them
Until you grew much older
Did not compare with when they said
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother
Elton John's "The Greatest Discovery" is a song about the arrival of a baby brother, as seen through the eyes of a young child. The song paints a vivid picture of a small child waking up early in the morning and peering out of their bedroom window while wiping away the frost that has covered the window. The child is awakened by a strange new sound coming from the next door nursery, which emits a sound so unusual that the child is drawn towards it. The child is filled with excitement at the prospect of the unknown sound and heads towards the nursery, with heart beating fast and small feet treading carefully.
Once the child arrives at the nursery, they are lifted up in the air by large hands, and their curious eyes look around the room to take in all the new sights and sounds. The child is introduced to their new baby brother, who makes strange sounds that sing. In this moment, the child's world is changed forever as a new friend is made. The significance of the moment is not lost on the child's parents, who smile and cherish the moment, knowing that they have just made their child a new friend for life.
The song is a beautiful tribute to the wonder and innocence of childhood, capturing the sense of excitement and awe that a child can feel at the smallest of things. Through the lyrics, Elton John celebrates the arrival of a new sibling, transforming what can be a difficult and emotional time for children into a moment of joy and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Peering out of tiny eyes
Looking out of small eyes
The grubby hands that gripped the rail
The dirty hands that grabbed the railing
Wiped the window clean of frost
Cleaned the frost off the window
As the morning air laid on the latch
The morning air was gently resting on the door latch
A whistle awakened someone there
A whistle woke someone up
Next door to the nursery just down the hall
The room next to the nursery and farther down the hall
A strange new sound you never heard before
A new sound you've never heard before
A strange new sound that makes boys explore
A new sound that makes young boys curious and explorative
Tread neat so small those little feet
The tiny feet carefully take small steps
Amid the morning his small heart beats
His heart is racing in excitement during the morning
So much excitement yesterday
There was so much excitement the day before
That must be rewarded must be displayed
It must be rewarded and shown
Large hands lift him through the air
Big hands lift him up into the air
Excited eyes contain him there
His eyes are filled with excitement and wonder
The eyes of those he loves and knows
The eyes of those who love and know him
But what's this extra bed just here
But what is this extra bed right here
His puzzled head tipped to one side
His confused head tilts to one side
Amazement swims in those bright green eyes
Amazement fills his bright green eyes
Glancing down upon this thing
Looking down at this object
That make strange sounds, strange sounds that sing
That makes strange singing sounds
In those silent happy seconds
In those joyous and calm moments
That surround the sound of this event
That happen during the event making the sound
A parent smile is made in moments
The parents smile at that moment
They have made for you a friend
They've brought you a new friend
And all you ever learned from them
And everything you learned from them
Until you grew much older
Until you became much older
Did not compare with when they said
It didn't compare to when they said
This is your brand new brother
This is your new younger brother
This is your brand new brother
This is your new younger brother
This is your brand new brother
This is your new younger brother
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.....