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 Letter
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I must seem a distant memory
Which is probably a good thing
And it will have been a long, long time
And I will have missed you growing
And I'll have missed you crying
And I'll have missed you laugh
I have missed telling you off
But please, Billy, know that I was always there
I was with you through everything
And please, Billy, know that I will always be
Proud to have known you
Proud that you were mine
Proud in everything
And you must promise me this, Billy
In everthing you do
Always be yourself, Billy
And you always will be true
Love you forever
Love you forever
Mam
The lyrics of Elton John's song "The Letter" are a heartfelt message from a mother to her son named Billy. She acknowledges that she may seem like a distant memory to him and that it might be for the best. Having been away for a long time, she admits to missing out on significant milestones in his life such as watching him grow, hearing him cry, laugh, shouting, and stamping his feet. She even says she misses telling him off. However, despite the distance, the mother wants Billy to know that she was always there for him, providing support and guidance, even if it wasn't always visible.
The chorus of the song encourages Billy to always be his authentic self, assuring him that he will never lose his true identity. The mother expresses her immense pride in her son, emphasizing her love for him as she promises to always do so. The emotional significance of this message is likely to be heightened by the fact that it is being delivered through a letter, a tangible symbol of love and connection.
In summary, the song's message can be decoded as a parent's endless love for a child, despite physical distance. It reveals the internal conflict of missing out on a child's development, the sacrifices made to provide, and the importance of building a stable foundation of self-love.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Billy
The letter is addressed to Billy, likely a child who is no longer in their life.
I must seem a distant memory
The writer acknowledges that they have been absent from Billy's life for a long time.
Which is probably a good thing
The writer acknowledges that their absence may have been for the best.
And it will have been a long, long time
The writer emphasizes how long they have been absent from Billy's life.
And I will have missed you growing
The writer acknowledges that they have missed out on seeing Billy grow up.
And I'll have missed you crying
The writer acknowledges that they have missed out on comforting Billy during difficult times.
And I'll have missed you laugh
The writer acknowledges that they have missed out on sharing in Billy's moments of joy and happiness.
Missed your stamping and your shouting
The writer acknowledges that they have missed out on all of Billy's typical childhood behaviors.
I have missed telling you off
The writer acknowledges that they have missed the opportunity to scold Billy for misbehavior.
But please, Billy, know that I was always there
Despite the writer's absence, they want Billy to know that they were always there in spirit.
I was with you through everything
The writer wants Billy to know that they have been with him through all of life's ups and downs.
And please, Billy, know that I will always be
The writer wants Billy to know that they will always be there for him.
Proud to have known you
The writer is proud to have had the opportunity to know Billy.
Proud that you were mine
The writer is proud to have been a part of Billy's life in some way.
Proud in everything
The writer is proud of Billy, regardless of what he does in life.
And you must promise me this, Billy
The writer wants Billy to make a promise to them.
In everthing you do
The promise the writer wants from Billy is that he will be true to himself in everything he does.
Always be yourself, Billy
The writer wants Billy to always be authentic to who he is as a person.
And you always will be true
The writer believes that if Billy stays true to himself, he will always do the right thing.
Love you forever
The writer expresses their love for Billy.
Love you forever
The writer reiterates their love for Billy.
Mam
The letter is signed off by someone who refers to themselves as 'Mam'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, LEE HALL
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.....