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)
Turn The Lights Out When You Leave
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your closet's all cleared out
You say you're goin' to Jacksonville
Cause our love's all worn out
You're searching in my eyes
To try and find a tear
But the well of my forgiveness
You might still look pretty
In that lacy little dress
But I think you've got your signals crossed
If you think that I'm a mess
I ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna cry
I won't wear my heart out on my sleeve
You can take the car, but you won't break my heart
Oh and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
I ain't gonna shake, I ain't gonna break
I ain't gonna fall down on my knees
So if everything's been said I'm heading back to bed
Oh and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
It's like a prime time movie
You play the part so well
You do believe you're Heaven sent
And livin' here is hell
I hear it's hot in Florida
And it's raining here tonight
But the sun's gonna shine tomorrow
And I'm gonna do alright
You might still look pretty
In that lacy little dress
But I think you've got your signals crossed
If you think that I'm a mess
I ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna cry
I won't wear my heart out on my sleeve
You can take the car, but you won't break my heart
Oh, and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
I ain't gonna shake, I ain't gonna break
I ain't gonna fall down on my knees
So if everything's been said I'm heading back to bed
Oh and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
You might still look pretty
In that lacy little dress
But I think you've got your signals crossed
If you think that I'm a mess
I ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna cry
I won't wear my heart out on my sleeve
You can take the car, but you won't break my heart
And darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
I ain't gonna shake, I ain't gonna break
I ain't gonna fall down on my knees
So if everything's been said I'm heading back to bed
Oh and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
So if everything's been said I'm heading back to bed
Oh and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
The song is about a breakup and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer's partner has left him, and he is left to deal with the hurt and pain of losing someone he loved. The first two verses set the scene, with the singer describing the physical manifestations of his partner leaving, including their bags on the bed, and the closet being empty. The partner is going to Jacksonville, and the singer acknowledges that their love is worn out.
In the chorus, the singer establishes his resolve not to let the breakup defeat him. He will not cry or wear his heart on his sleeve. He tells his partner to take the car, but not to break his heart, and to turn the lights out when she leaves. In the second verse, the singer describes how his partner played a role in their relationship, believing that she was Heaven-sent, but now that she's gone, living with the aftermath is like being in hell. Despite this, he remains hopeful, knowing that the sunshine will come again.
The song is a classic "breakup" song, with a message of resilience and strength. It's a clear declaration that the singer will not be defeated by the end of the relationship, and he will not let his partner's departure destroy him. Throughout the song, Elton John's voice is full of emotion, conveying the pain and heartbreak of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Your bags out on the bed
I can see you're leaving and you've already packed your bags.
Your closet's all cleared out
You've taken everything with you, even your clothes from the closet.
You say you're goin' to Jacksonville
You're leaving town and going to Jacksonville.
Cause our love's all worn out
Our relationship is over and there's nothing left to hold us together.
You're searching in my eyes
You're trying to find a sign of sadness or regret in my eyes.
To try and find a tear
You want to see me crying to show that I am sad about the situation.
But the well of my forgiveness
I have no more love to give and I am unable to forgive you, no matter how much you want me to.
Has dried up with the years
Over time my ability to forgive and forget has gone and now there's nothing left.
You might still look pretty
Even though you look attractive to me, that doesn't mean anything because our relationship is dead.
In that lacy little dress
You're wearing a dress that I find appealing, but it doesn't change the fact that we're breaking up.
But I think you've got your signals crossed
You're misreading the situation and believing that I still care about you or want to work things out. That's not the case.
If you think that I'm a mess
You're mistaken if you think that I'll be devastated without you. I'll be just fine.
I ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna cry
I'm not going to die or cry over this situation. I'm ready to move on.
I won't wear my heart out on my sleeve
I won't make myself vulnerable or show my emotions openly anymore. It's not worth it.
You can take the car, but you won't break my heart
You can take everything with you, but I won't let you break my heart or destroy me emotionally.
Oh and darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
I want you to leave and turn off the lights when you go so I can move on with my life.
I ain't gonna shake, I ain't gonna break
I'm not going to be shaken or broken by this situation. I'm strong enough to handle it.
I ain't gonna fall down on my knees
I won't let this situation bring me to my knees or cause me to lose my faith in myself or life.
So if everything's been said I'm heading back to bed
Since we've said everything that needed to be said, I'm going to bed now.
And darlin' turn the lights out when you leave
Please turn off the lights and leave when you go, so I can start to heal and move on with my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe
How could this song only have 200K views after 6 years? This is a GREAT song! I always liked this song, and the video is pretty awesome too! Teri Hatcher!!!
Hydreigion
Love this song. Has such a beauty to it. Elton knows how to tug at heartstrings
Elaine Stewart
There's no genre this icon can't pull off! Sir Elton and Bernie are one of a kind!
G. Christianson
Elton is more country here, than most of what passes for country music on the radio these days.
Cassie J. Fox
The Truth.
Kevin Piland
It was meant as a country song.
Carlos Augusto Silveira Pinto
Música linda!
🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Matteo De Tomi
Love this song and love Peachtree Road 🍃
jakeline3
Sempre magnifico !
Ali Pakzad
Another beautiful song from Sir Elton John. Peachtree Road is a great album. I love "Answer In The Sky" and "Freaks In Love" from this album.Teri Hatcher is so beautiful and attractive. I love her and it's really good to see her in this music video.