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)
Without Question
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The less the world impassioned me
The hungry heart, the roving eye
Have come to rest, do not apply
The frantic chase, the crazy ride
The thrill has gone, I step aside
I'd believe in anything were it not for you
I love you, I love you without question, I love you
The more I want the more I steal
The more I hold the less is real
All worldly things I follow blind
In hope not faith was paid in kind
The line is drawn, the change is made
I come to you, I'm not afraid
The lyrics to Elton John's "Without Question" reflect the singer's personal growth and newfound contentment in his romantic relationship. As he ages and gains wisdom, he finds himself less interested in the materialistic pursuits and romantic flings of his youth, and more drawn towards the stability and comfort that his partner provides. He acknowledges that his past desires and actions were ultimately empty and unfulfilling, and that his current love for his partner is the only thing that truly matters.
The lines "I'd believe in anything were it not for you / Showing me by just existing only this is true / I love you, I love you without question, I love you" are particularly poignant, as they describe the transformative power of love - how simply being with someone can change one's entire outlook on the world. Elton John's voice is full of passion and sincerity as he sings these words, underscoring the depth of his feelings for his partner.
Overall, "Without Question" is a beautiful testament to the joys of finding true love, and the wisdom that comes with age and experience.
Line by Line Meaning
The more I learn, the more I see
As I become more knowledgeable, I realize the less the world interests me
The less the world impassioned me
I feel less excitement and enthusiasm towards all that the world has to offer
The hungry heart, the roving eye
My desire for things and experiences have subsided
Have come to rest, do not apply
I am content and no longer seek to pursue such desires
The frantic chase, the crazy ride
I have grown tired of the exhilarating pursuit of worldly pleasures
The thrill has gone, I step aside
I have lost interest and therefore withdraw myself from such pursuits
I'd believe in anything were it not for you
I would have faith in anything if I did not have your influence on me
Showing me by just existing only this is true
Simply by being present, you have demonstrated the genuine truth to me
I love you, I love you without question, I love you
I deeply and completely love you, with no doubts or hesitation
The more I want the more I steal
The stronger my desires, the more I feel the need to take what I want
The more I hold the less is real
As I accumulate more, the value and authenticity of those possessions decrease
All worldly things I follow blind
My pursuit of material things is without rational consideration or insight
In hope not faith was paid in kind
I relied on hope, not faith, to acquire these goods and was rewarded accordingly
The line is drawn, the change is made
I have reached a turning point and have decided to make a significant transformation
I come to you, I'm not afraid
I approach you with courage and without fear
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, TIM RICE
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.....