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)

Up Around The Bend
Elton John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a place up ahead and I'm going
Just as fast as my feet can fly
Come away, come away if you're going
Leave the sinking ships behind

Come on ________
We're going up around the bend

Bring a song and a smile for the banjo
Better get while the getting's good
Hitch a ride to the end of the highway
Where the neon ____ wood

You can ponder perpetual motion
____ your mind on a crystal day
Always time for a good conversation
There's an ear for what you say

Catch a ride to the end of the highway
And we'll meet by the big red tree

There's a place up ahead and I'm going
Come along, come along with me

Overall Meaning

The song "Up Around The Bend" by Elton John is about escaping the chaos of everyday life and heading to a place where one can relax and be free. The lyrics paint a picture of a journey to an unknown destination, with the singer urging the listener to leave behind any baggage of the past and join him on a new adventure. The words "Come away, come away if you're going, Leave the sinking ships behind" suggest that the singer wants to move away from anything that is bringing him down and start fresh.

The song's catchy tune and upbeat tempo reflect the freedom and excitement of the journey. The line "Bring a song and a smile for the banjo" evokes images of a joyful and carefree atmosphere, where people are making music and having fun. The use of imagery such as "perpetual motion" and "crystal day" creates a dreamy, almost surreal quality to the lyrics, suggesting that the destination is a place of pure imagination and freedom.

Overall, the lyrics of "Up Around the Bend" encourage listeners to leave their troubles behind and embark on a journey of exploration and self-discovery. It is a song about the excitement of the unknown and the joy of new beginnings.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a place up ahead and I'm going
I have a destination in mind and I am determined to reach there.

Just as fast as my feet can fly
I am absolutely committed to reaching my destination as quickly as possible.

Come away, come away if you're going
If you want to join me on my journey, leave all your problems and worries behind and come along.

Leave the sinking ships behind
Forget about your past failures and move forward without looking back.

Come on ________
I am urging you to follow me on this exciting journey towards our destination!

We're going up around the bend
We are taking a different route to reach our destination, one that is new and possibly more adventurous than the usual path.

Bring a song and a smile for the banjo
I want you to come prepared to have fun on this journey - bring music and happiness with you!

Better get while the getting's good
We need to take advantage of this opportunity while we can, before it's too late.

Hitch a ride to the end of the highway
Let's hop onto a mode of transportation and travel all the way to the end of this journey.

Where the neon ____ wood
We are heading towards somewhere lively, vibrant and full of energy!

You can ponder perpetual motion
We can think about something that is constantly moving, without ever stopping - such as time.

____ your mind on a crystal day
Clear your mind and focus on the beauty of the present moment.

Always time for a good conversation
We will have plenty of opportunities to chat with each other and deepen our friendship along the way.

There's an ear for what you say
I am willing to listen to what you have to say, and I am interested in hearing about your life and experiences.

Catch a ride to the end of the highway
We need to find a way to travel all the way to our destination without stopping.

And we'll meet by the big red tree
Once we arrive at our destination, we will come together by the big, red tree in celebration and as a symbol of our unity.

Come along, come along with me
I am asking you to join me on this adventure so we can experience the joys of life together!

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JOHN CAMERON FOGERTY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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