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 ÂŁ300 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)
When I Think About Love
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never find I'm missing love.
Remembering all parades that had been rained on
But never cloudy leaving love.
Ask me what it is that makes it special
Why it's so real to me.
It's knowing who keeps their place in my heart,
It's knowing never will I change my mind,
When I think about love I think about you.
When I think about love I think about you.
Too many times I've turned my emotions on and off
Without realizing what it does.
I know what's moved me and kept me going this far
But I never questioned what it was.
The opening verse of the song talks about how the memories captured in pictures have helped the singer identify what they have been missing in life. By holding these images, they never feel like they are lacking love. Even when memories of past events, like parades, are rained on or affected by cloudy weather, the singer is left with the feeling of love. The second verse states that the singer is often guilty of turning their emotions on and off, without truly understanding the impact it has. While they may know what has gotten them this far, they have never questioned what it was.
The chorus of the song answers the question of what makes love special to the singer. It is knowing who has a place in their heart, understanding how they can feel for that person and knowing that they will never change their mind. When they think of love, they think of the person that encompasses all of these elements - the "you" that is repeatedly referenced throughout the song.
Overall, the song's theme is about the realization of what true love is and recognizing the person who embodies it in the singer's life. It's about understanding how love has impacted them and acknowledging that it is a feeling that is more than just a fleeting emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Holding all the pictures that my life's drawn
Reflecting on all the memories that fill my mind.
I never find I'm missing love.
Realizing that I've always had love in my life and never truly felt alone.
Remembering all parades that had been rained on
Recalling all the hardships and obstacles that I've faced.
But never cloudy leaving love.
Realizing that love has always remained constant and bright, even in the midst of difficulties.
Ask me what it is that makes it special
If someone were to ask me what sets love apart from everything else.
Why it's so real to me.
Why I know for sure that love is real and not just a fleeting feeling.
It's knowing who keeps their place in my heart,
Understanding who truly matters in my life and occupies a special place in my heart.
It's knowing how is it I can feel you,
Understanding the unique qualities and characteristics that stir my heart and make me feel deeply.
It's knowing never will I change my mind,
Being certain that my feelings for a person will never fade or falter, even in the face of change or adversity.
When I think about love I think about you.
Knowing that when I think about love, my thoughts always turn to a particular person.
When I think about love I think about you.
Stating the importance and centrality of this person to my life and heart.
Too many times I've turned my emotions on and off
Acknowledging the tendency to be emotionally distant or detached at times.
Without realizing what it does.
Unaware of the impact this behavior can have on those around me or on my ability to connect with love.
I know what's moved me and kept me going this far
Acknowledging the things that have kept me motivated and driven in life.
But I never questioned what it was.
Unaware of the power of love to inspire and sustain me throughout life's challenges and joys.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ATTRELL STEPHEN JR. CORDES, Attrell Cordes
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.....