Elton John famous quotes

I grew up conservative because my mum was a conservative, and when I finally realized what conservatives were, I changed my mind immediately.
-- Elton John

#Mind #Conservative #Grew Up

I'm going to fight for human rights, whether I do it silently behind the scenes or vocally so that I get locked up. I can't just sit back; it's not in my nature. I can't sit back and blindly ignore it, and I won't.
-- Elton John

#Fighting #Rights #Behind The Scenes

Ask anyone. If it hadn't been for Elvis, I don't know where popular music would be. He was the one that started it all off, and he was definitely the start of it for me.
-- Elton John

#Music #Would Be #Popular Music

If you write great songs with meaning and emotion, they will last for ever because songs are the key to everything.
-- Elton John

#Song #Writing #Keys

Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.
-- Elton John

#Music #Healing #People

I didn't have sex until I was 23 and that was with a man. I made up for lost time after that in a hurry. I wish I could have had sex when I was, like, 14, 15 or 16 because that's such an exciting age to have sex.
-- Elton John

#Sex #Men #Wish

And I'm afraid, in this day and age, trust, which I count so, you know, I love loyalty. I love trust.
-- Elton John

#Birthday #Loyalty #Age

I grew up in the Fifties and early Sixties, which were still quite conservative, and I wasn't given any information about sex or anything like that; I went out with girls at school because one had to. I didn't experiment with sex for quite a long time.
-- Elton John

#Girl #Sex #School

There is nothing wrong with going to bed with someone of your own sex. People should be very free with sex, they should draw the line at goats.
-- Elton John

#Sex #Gay #People

We have a society where every hit maker and TV presenter is gay.
-- Elton John

#Gay #Tvs #Makers

There's a time for everyone, If they only learn, that the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn.
-- Elton John

#Moving #Kaleidoscope #Turns

I love drag queens and I love going to see them perform because those people have got so much character and bravery. Such balls! I love people with balls.
-- Elton John

#Queens #Character #People

Johnny, can't you come out to play in your empty garden?
-- Elton John

#Garden #Play #Empty

I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many Christian people I know who are gay and love their religion.
-- Elton John

#Christian #Gay #Thinking

My mum always used to buy a record every Friday.
-- Elton John

#Friday #Records #Used

What we should be doing as musicians is trying to bring people together.
-- Elton John

#People #Trying #Together

I was more ashamed that I couldn't work the washing machine than the fact that I was taking drugs.
-- Elton John

#Drug #Machines #Facts

We can't keep thinking of gay people as being ostracised; we can't keep thinking of Muslim people as being ostracised because of the fundamentalism that occurs in Islam. Muslim people have to do something about speaking up about it. We can't judge a book by its cover.
-- Elton John

#Book #Gay #Thinking

I want to do a musical movie. Like Evita, but with good music.
-- Elton John

#Movie #Music #Want

The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave; why aren't they coming together?
-- Elton John

#War #Leader #Together

I was just genuinely shy. I'd always been a shy kid.
-- Elton John

#Kids #Shy

Instead of more violence why isn't there a meeting of religious leaders. It's all got to be dialogue - that's the only way. Get everybody from each religion together and say 'Listen, this can't go on. Why do we have all this hatred?'
-- Elton John

#Religious #Hatred #Leader

Everything I thought I'd hate about having children - the crying, the screaming - nothing fazes me. I love it all, and it's relaxed me.
-- Elton John

#Children #Hate #Cry

I do like my rock stars to be a little larger than life. I don't mind the earnest ones at all, but I do like a bit of individuality.
-- Elton John

#Stars #Rocks #Individuality

I love places that have an incredible history. I love the Italian way of life. I love the food. I love the people. I love the attitudes of Italians.
-- Elton John

#Attitude #Italian #People

It's the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, 'till we find our place, on the path unwinding.
-- Elton John

#Moving #Circles #Funeral

I am totally against the war but violence is part of mankind and it's going to happen, but as musicians I think we've got to step up and say 'come on'.
-- Elton John

#War #Thinking #Musician

The AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not. The AIDS epidemic is fueled by stigma, by hate, by misinformation, by ignorance, by indifference. Science has accomplished miracles over the past 20 years, and science can now end this disease - but it cannot end the epidemic. We need more than medicine. We can do something about these things. We need to speak out about the changes we need to make in our society.
-- Elton John

#Hate #Ignorance #Past

Dave and I as a couple seem to be the acceptable face of gayness, and that's great. I've got to use that power to try and do what I can - or we have - to try to make the situations in Russia and Poland better.
-- Elton John

#Couple #Russia #Trying

The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.
-- Elton John

#Inspirational #Stars #Rocks

Nothing should be an issue when it comes to sexuality in the first place. Music is the one artform where people feel comfortable coming out.
-- Elton John

#Issues #People #Firsts

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids, in fact it's cold as hell.
-- Elton John

#Kids #Facts #Mars

It's so easy to write songs about misery and hard times and sadness. It's much more difficult to write songs about happy and chirpy stuff.
-- Elton John

#Song #Writing #Sadness

It's very important to have two tiaras when you're on the road; you never know when you'll be invited to something really formal.
-- Elton John

#Two #Important #Tiaras

The work became like the drug addiction, the clothes, anything in my life. It became - it's become an addiction. I'm addicted to working.
-- Elton John

#Clothes #Addiction #Drug

I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school and I collected all the little stickers and put them in my book. But the reality is that organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate.
-- Elton John

#Beautiful #Jesus #Teaching

Onstage it was always comfortable for me because that's where I felt at home. Offstage it was a different situation. I was still shy offstage and unfortunately, my shyness and my inability to communicate and really have great conversations or be part of the gang - in inverted commas - led me to the drug addiction, which, you know, blighted my life for 16 years because I thought by doing that it would make me join in.
-- Elton John

#Home #Years #Addiction

Live for each second without hesitation
-- Elton John

#Ambition #Hesitation

I suspected my homosexuality, but I'd never acted out on it because I was afraid of sex. It's awful to be afraid of sex.
-- Elton John

#Sex #Awful #Homosexuality

I just wish more of my fellow queers would come out sometimes. It's nice out here, you know?
-- Elton John

#Nice #Gay #Wish

My mother encouraged me and was very great about me being gay, but she always encouraged me to follow my musical dreams, which I'm very grateful for.
-- Elton John

#Mother #Dream #Grateful

I've only been interested in the artistic side of life.
-- Elton John

#Sides #Artistic

I don't think there can ever be too many messages about AIDS. If you stop the education process, then people are going to think the problem is all over and done with. They'll think that it's OK to go and have sex again. Education is essential, especially among young people.
-- Elton John

#Sex #Thinking #People

I think people should be free to engage in any sexual practices they choose; they should draw the line at goats though.
-- Elton John

#Sex #Thinking #Practice

I don't think you can recreate anything from the past. You can not do it. If you're going to go out and imitate a Motown sound, you can't do it, it's impossible because of the studios and players involved and the atmosphere.
-- Elton John

#Past #Player #Thinking

Once you have people around you who don't question you, you're in a dangerous place.
-- Elton John

#People #Dangerous

I've watched other people singing, I've become a much better singer. I've become a singer that plays the piano instead of a piano player that sings.
-- Elton John

#Player #Piano #People

People with HIV are still stigmatized. The infection rates are going up. People are dying. The political response is appalling. The sadness of it, the waste.
-- Elton John

#Sadness #People #Political

I'm not bored with my life. I'm not just making the records and touring, I would find that boring.
-- Elton John

#Bored #Records #Boring

Bands today have to learn their craft by putting the hard work in that we did when we were young performers.
-- Elton John

#Hard Work #Reality #Band

It seems to me, sorry seems to be the hardest word.
-- Elton John

#Song #Sorry #Hardest

I don't have a computer. I am the Luddite of rock'n'roll, I don't have a portable phone. I write things down.
-- Elton John

#Writing #Phones #Rocks

I've got to think about what I'm going to say very carefully. There's two avenues of thought: Do you stop everyone going, ban all the artists coming in from Russia? But then you're really leaving the men and women who are gay and suffering under the antigay laws in an isolated situation. As a gay man, I can't leave those people on their own without going over there and supporting them. I don't know what's going to happen, but I've got to go.
-- Elton John

#Gay #Artist #Men

People say, "You should write lyrics" and I say I'm quite happy not to, because I like being part of that process where you write your version of what someone else's lyrics are saying to you, and that enjoyment has never changed.
-- Elton John

#Writing #People #Never Change

Fame attracts lunatics.
-- Elton John

#Fame #Lunatic

I have an optimistic view of everything. You have to, otherwise you'd go nuts.
-- Elton John

#Optimistic #Views #Nuts

I'm the ultimate record fan. I still go out and buy records.
-- Elton John

#Fans #Records #Stills

I love the way the American trade magazines never give anybody a bad review because they're afraid the advertising will be taken out. It's so hysterical.
-- Elton John

#Taken #Giving #Magazines

I like Stevie Wonder. I usually wind up playing the same old tapes in the car.
-- Elton John

#Wind #Car #Tape

I think that's the graveyard of musicians, playing cabaret. I think I'd rather be dead than work in cabaret. It's just so depressing.
-- Elton John

#Depressing #Thinking #Musician

On Keith Richards: He's like a monkey with arthritis.
-- Elton John

#Culture

I'll even pay sometimes for a woman that's ugly.
-- Elton John

#Honesty #Ugly #Pay

Well, I quit those days and my redneck ways.
-- Elton John

#Honesty #Redneck #Way

I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don't know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East -- you're as good as dead.
-- Elton John

#Jesus #Gay #Men

To fight the violence we must be brave, hold on strong to the love God gave.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Strong #Fighting

We were both very much the same. We were both very impulsive. We both loved life. We both loved shopping. We both had a love of clothes, obviously, because he was the designer that I kind of wore forever and ever.
-- Elton John

#Shopping #Clothes #Forever

I'm not everybody's cup of tea. But sometimes criticism can be hurtful. Be respectful. I'm a good piano player, I can sing well, I write good songs. If you don't like it, fair enough. But give me a break.
-- Elton John

#Song #Writing #Player

I'm lucky enough and wealthy enough to be able to buy photographs and buy art that inspires me from day to day. I don't want a Picasso on my wall; it's great art, but it's dead art to me. I'd rather have a photograph by someone I've never heard of that really inspires me.
-- Elton John

#Art #Wall #Inspire

I'm addicted to working. I mean, I have a list of 100 countries I want to play in. I'm basically killing myself by travelling so much, for no reason whatsoever.
-- Elton John

#Country #Mean #Play

I went to a mixed school and I can't remember being bullied at school, ever. I was quite large, in those days. Usually, if you're going to be a bully, you'll pick on someone who is small. I didn't bully anybody, and I don't remember being bullied.
-- Elton John

#Bullying #School #Remember

I love every minute of fatherhood, staying up all night, changing nappies, kids crying, I find it really funny and inspiring. It connects you to the world in a new way.
-- Elton John

#Dad #Kids #Night

I just go into the studio, look at the lyrics for the first time when I put them on the piano, and go. If I haven't got it within 40 minutes, I give up. It's never changed, the thrill has never gone, because I don't know what I'm going to get next.
-- Elton John

#Giving Up #Piano #Looks

I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it. I didn't ever want to be anything else. I just started banging away and semi-studied classical music at the Royal Academy of Music but sort of half-heartedly.
-- Elton John

#Half #Want #Littles

If I was to say what I am, I'd be a Labour man. I like Tony Blair a lot, I think he's a good man. And in America I'd definitely be a Democrat; I'd never be a Republican.
-- Elton John

#Men #Thinking #America

Some men kneel and pray, I like women and I like wine.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Wine #Men

Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate.
-- Elton John

#Gay #Views #People

And there are men behind bars who pray for the light and there are men in the suburbs who pray for the night.
-- Elton John

#Men #Night #Light

Blue jean baby, LA lady, seamstress for the band. Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man. Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand.
-- Elton John

#Baby #Men #Blue

You can cage the songbird, but you can't make her sing. And you can trap the free bird, but you'll have to clip her wings.
-- Elton John

#Wings #Bird #Cages

Don't let the sun go down on me.
-- Elton John

#Rejection #Sun

Someone saved my life tonight, sugar bear, you almost had your hooks in me, didn't you dear?
-- Elton John

#Rejection #Tonight #Sugar

After claws and feathers, he took skin and bone, shaped it like an hour glass and made the angels moan.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Angel #Glasses

He'd been drinking in a bar downtown, when he thought he heard a choir of angels singing in the Tiki Lounge. And that's when he got religion.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Drinking #Angel

Holy Moses, let us live in peace. Let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease. There's a man over there, what's his colour I don't care, he's my brother, let us live in peace.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Brother #Men

I just sit there and make up songs and sing to [my son] in gibberish. I'm very good at gibberish now.
-- Elton John

#Fathers Day #Song #My Son

You should never take more than you give
-- Elton John

#Giving #Should

Goodbye Norma Jean From the young man in the 22nd row Who sees you as something more than sexual More than just our Marilyn Monroe
-- Elton John

#Goodbye #Men #Young

If there's a God in heaven, what's he waiting for? If He can't hear the children, then he must see the war.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Children #War

Some kneel and lie to God.
-- Elton John

#Religious #Lying #Religion

A couple of sounds that I really like are the sounds of a switchblade and a motor bike.
-- Elton John

#Couple #Order #Law

I grew up at my grandmother's house, and she had a beautiful garden. I used to hate mowing the lawn and weeding, which is what you do when you're a kid. I loathe gardening, but I love gardens, and I have two beautiful gardens.
-- Elton John

#Beautiful #Weed #Hate

I'm glad I've given up drugs and alcohol. It would be awful to be like Keith Richards. He's pathetic. It's like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young.
-- Elton John

#Alcohol #Drug #Trying