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 To Me
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brush them aside, gather your pride
Baby turn to me
Turn to me, turn to me when you're lonely
Brush them aside, gather your pride
Baby turn to me
Don't listen to the people
I know it hurts
But baby I've had it too
I've learned to live with their abuse
I've learned to live with those who choose
To disregard my emptiness and lose me
Your laughter has died in the heat of the night
The people they pretend that company is bright
But brighter you'll wait by the phone that has died
Don't bury your hopes, there's nothing that's left for you to confide in
But you seem to be happy just for now to go on
Try to see through them baby, can't you see what is wrong
You're hurting yourself more that you'll ever know
The lyrics to Elton John's song Turn To Me tell the story of someone who is feeling alone and neglected in the face of people spreading rumors and lies about them. The singer urges the person to turn to them instead of listening to those who would try to tear them down. The singer acknowledges that they have also faced abuse and empty relationships but encourages the person to not bury their hope and to confide in them. The chorus becomes a plea to turn to the singer in times of loneliness, brushing aside any negative comments and gathering their pride.
The lines "Your laughter has died in the heat of the night / The people they pretend that company is bright" paint a bleak picture of the person's current state of mind, feeling like they are surrounded by people who are not providing genuine comfort. The final line of the chorus "You're hurting yourself more than you'll ever know" is a reminder that there is an alternative to continuing down this path of pain - turning to someone trustworthy who can provide the support that they need.
The song is a reflection of the empathy and compassion that people can feel towards one another, especially when facing times of adversity. It reminds us that even during the darkest times, there is someone who will be there to cheer us up and who we can confide in, providing a safe harbour for our troubled souls.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn to me, turn to me when you're lonely
My dear, when you feel lonely and lost, I want you to turn to me and seek my comfort and love.
Brush them aside, gather your pride
Don't let others who spread lies about you bring you down, instead, dust off your shoulders and take pride in who you are.
Baby turn to me
My dear, please turn to me for solace and let me be your rock in times of need.
Don't listen to the people
Ignore the people who try to harm you with their untruthful words.
Who spread lies about your name
These people are merely attempting to defile your good name by spreading falsehoods.
I know it hurts
I understand how their lies can be painful and hurtful to you.
But baby I've had it too
I can relate to your pain, as I too have faced similar hardships before.
I've learned to live with their abuse
I've learned how to cope with the verbal abuse and false accusations from these people.
I've learned to live with those who choose
I've also learned that some people intentionally disregard my feelings and may choose to judge me despite my true character.
To disregard my emptiness and lose me
These people may fail to acknowledge my own personal struggles and cause me to feel empty inside, causing me to drift away.
Your laughter has died in the heat of the night
I've noticed that your joy and carefree nature seems to have vanished, especially when it's dark and quiet.
The people they pretend that company is bright
Others may try to convince you that being in company will brighten your mood, but they are merely pretending.
But brighter you'll wait by the phone that has died
Despite the phone being silent, you still wait for a brighter future and brighter companionship.
Don't bury your hopes, there's nothing that's left for you to confide in
Don't give up on your hopes and dreams, even if it feels like there is no one left to confide in.
But you seem to be happy just for now to go on
Despite all of the hardship, you seem to be content with continuing onward, at least for the moment.
Try to see through them baby, can't you see what is wrong
I implore you to look beyond these negative people and see what is truly wrong with the way they treat you.
You're hurting yourself more that you'll ever know
These people are causing you more pain than you likely realize, and you deserve better than that.
Contributed by Matthew W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@polipon9
I was trying to think what his singing at the ending reminds me of...his song Harmony!
@spiraljoe1273
What a treat!!!!
@danieleclauzel1674
completely agree.
@davywavy2141
I didn't know these songs existed Ronnie. My knowledge of EJ/BT and my record collection starts with "Empty Sky"
@RonnieFriend
You have a lot to discover! There's quite a lot of interesting early material.... Enjoy!
@l.salisbury1253
Perhaps a more accurate title would have been "Sgt. Zippo's Lonely Hearts Club Band"! Very "Sgt. Pepper"/"Magical Mystery Tour" oriented! These songs do NOT predict "Empty Sky"...
@michaelcrawley7597
Reginald Sgt. Zippo
@ronchiles399
Has a Sgt. Pepper sound, but better.