Meaning of “Sacrifice” by Elton John
Sacrifice is a song by legendary English singer and songwriter Elton John. The song has lyrics that deal with the demise of a marriage, where the marriage’s demise is “no sacrifice”. Speaking with the American music-trade magazine Music Connection, the song’s co-writer Bernie Taupin said the song dealt with the “rigors” of love between two adults in a romantic relationship.
According to John, the song was inspired by the hit song Do Right Woman, Do Right Man by American singer Aretha Franklin.
Facts about “Sacrifice”
- The song was written by Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner and friend Bernie Taupin. The lyrics and music were written by Taupin and John respectively.
- Sacrifice was produced by English record producer Chris Thomas. In addition to John, Thomas has worked with other musical icons such as The Beatles, Queen, INXS and Pete Townshend.
- John once called Sacrifice as a Percy Sledge song. For those who don’t know Percy Sledge, he was an American soul and R&B singer who is best remembered for his smash hit song When a Man Loves a Woman.
- Former Canadian model Yasmeen Ghauri and American rock musician Chris Isaak played the married couple who go their separate ways in the song’s music video.
- Sacrifice was released twice, the first release occurred in October 1989 and the second in May 1990.
- Sacrifice peaked at number 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, thereby making it the first single of Elton John’s career to top the UK Singles Chart.
Frequently Asked Questions about “Sacrifice”
Q: Has Sacrifice won a Grammy Award?
A: Despite being one of Elton John’s most successful singles, the song never won a Grammy.
Q: Who directed the song’s music video?
A: It was directed by Armenian-American film and music video director Alek Keshishian.
Q: Which Elton John album features Sacrifice?
A: The song is from John’s 1989 22nd studio album titled Sleeping with the Past.
Q: Who have sampled or covered Sacrifice?
A: In 1991, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor recorded a cover version of Sacrifice. Aside O’Connor, other artists who have covered the song include the German band Gregorian, the American indie pop music duo Karmina and the famous French pianist Richard Clayderman.
Q: Are there any controversies or copyright issues surrounding this song?
A: No.
Does this no sacrifice meaning that a man NOT having an affair – is no sacrifice?
Song captures the “no win” feelings that come up when a relationship breaks up…the big hurts and The smaller ones. If you’ve loved you know the feeling…
Mark
The actor is NOT Chris Isaak.
Actor is not Chris isaak
You are wrong! He is actually Chris Isaak. Chris plays the role of the man whereas Canadian model Yasmeen Ghauri plays the role of the woman.
The actor is definitely Chris Isaak.It says so only many sites and on official sites connected to the song and video.He did some acting in the beginning of his career.
The actor is NOT Chris Isaak. If you look at stills of him and this actor they are not the same person. Totally different ears and noses. Chris’ nose is upturned – it’s been broken 7 times from his boxing days.
It’s the word NO, just a simple word, the sacrifice necessary to face the temptations of love in a troubled marriage.
Often, in this world of instant gratification, the word “no” is the hardest to exercise. Sometimes, it is because the callousness of the situation isn’t deemed as important. Sometimes, it is because the pain of being ignored or treated poorly leads to feeling unloved, and the person wants nothing more than to feel as if they are wanted. Does that excuse the act? No, but in the latter case, the pain of that rejection will fog better judgment. That pain can also come from being repeatedly accused of cheating when there had not been any occasion for that accusation to be used. Again, this does not excuse the act. It only explains the reasoning behind it. The heart is the seat of our emotions. When we hurt, we lash out. And, in lashing out, we tend to create collateral damage–friends, family, and co-workers all suffer as a result. It truly is a no-win situation.