Music / Made in England

But the joke's on you, you never read the song
They all think they know, but they all got it wrong

Hey you, you're a child in my head
You haven't walked yet
Your first words have yet to be said
But I swear you'll be blessed

I know you're still just a dream
Your eyes might be green
Or the bluest that I've ever seen
Anyway, you'll be blessed

"Blessed"

Made in England is the twenty-fourth studio album recorded by English pop rock musician Elton John. It was released through Rocket Records in the United Kingdom, and Island Records in the United States, on 17 March 1995.

Elton's career had reached new heights in The '90s, since his rehab for substance abuse in 1990. His Duets album, and roughly simultaneous studio album The One, had brought him into the decade with fresh new hits.

Then, The Lion King happened.

In the early 1990s, Elton partnered with lyricist Tim Rice and composer Hans Zimmer to produce the soundtrack for the Disney animated feature. It was a mega-hit, with the album certified Diamond in the United States, and the songs "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life" becoming big worldwide hits.

Returning to work with long-time writing partner Bernie Taupin, this album would be a freshly introspective look, with a dedication to boyfriend and future husband David Furnish. He would be more open about his own sexuality in this album than ever before, most acutely in the Title Track.

The album was warmly received. It went Platinum in the United States, and Gold in the United Kingdom; on the charts, he went #13 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and #3 in the UK. It also went triple-Platinum in Italy, where he was getting fresh recognition for his work.

The album spawned four singles: "Believe", the Title Track, "Blessed", and "Please". This would yield two hits in the US, and three in the UK, with "Believe" and "Blessed" both topping the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Tracklist

1. "Believe" (4:55)
2. "Made in England" (5:09)
3. "House" (4:27)
4. "Cold" (5:37)
5. "Pain" (3:49)
6. "Belfast" (6:29)
7. "Latitude" (3:34)
8. "Please" (3:52)
9. "Man" (5:16)
10. "Lies" (4:25)
11. "Blessed" (5:01)

"I believe in tropes, it's all we got:"

• Face on the Cover: Even more straightforward than on The One or even Sleeping with the Past, just a bust photo of Elton.
• Fading into the Next Song: A subtle fade-between going from "Believe" to the Title Track.
• One-Word Title: Everything but the Title Track.
• Steampunk: The video for "Believe" has a retro-future look to it, with Elton flying in a zeppelin. The skylines of New York City and London are obvious.
• The Troubles: "Belfast" invokes the struggle