--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Basically, I wanted redemption for the…" description: "\"Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand, and that was the drugs, the drink, the loose sex, whatever.\" — Elton John" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg" --- # Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life… ![“Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand, and that was the drugs, the drink, the loose sex, whatever.” quote by Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg) > “Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand, and that was the drugs, the drink, the loose sex, whatever.” [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He sought redemption from a past lifestyle of excess through drugs, alcohol, and casual sex, implying a search for meaning. **In simple terms:** He tried to redeem a reckless past. Key Takeaway Seek healthier paths for personal growth. Themes redemption self‑reflection excess Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - recovery - therapy - spiritual seeking - life coaching Key Concepts addiction moral reckoning Questions to Reflect On - What does redemption mean to you now? - How can you replace harmful habits with constructive ones? A Different Perspective Redemption may be elusive without accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Redemption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redemption/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober/) ## Related quotes > [“To redeem the past and to transform every 'It was' into an 'I wanted it thus!' – that alone do I call redemption!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-redeem-the-past-and-to-transform-every-it-was-into-an-i-wanted-it/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Rejection is life’s way of telling you that you suck, redemption is your way of telling life to suck it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-mays/rejection-is-life-s-way-of-telling-you-that-you-suck-redemption-is/) Blake Mays > [I really do believe that was what I was put on this planet to do: to give to people and, through my performances, show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-really-do-believe-that-was-what-i-was-put-on-this-planet-to-do-to/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [I've been in football a long time and people have problems through debt, drugs, drink and family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-strachan/i-ve-been-in-football-a-long-time-and-people-have-problems-through/) [Gordon Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-strachan/) > [The alcohol was awful. I was a terrible alcoholic. I mean, people used to ask how much drugs I did. I said, 'I only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hopper/the-alcohol-was-awful-i-was-a-terrible-alcoholic-i-mean-people-used/) [Dennis Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hopper/) > [Remember back in like 5th grade when everyone vowed they would never do drugs or drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-back-in-like-5th-grade-when-everyone-vowed-they-would-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't take drugs nor drink since 2000 and I must say that I don't think about it anymore, although like every person that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/i-don-t-take-drugs-nor-drink-since-2000-and-i-must-say-that-i-don-t/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) > [I don't smoke, no drugs, and drink red wine occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-navedo/i-don-t-smoke-no-drugs-and-drink-red-wine-occasionally/) [Andrea Navedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-navedo/) > [At 62, I remain clean and sober and my ponytail remains erect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/at-62-i-remain-clean-and-sober-and-my-ponytail-remains-erect/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-sober-for-five-years-a-long-time-ago-and-was-just-bored-out-of/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I'm 12 years sober, so I don't have beer! When I used to drink I really liked Bass Ale!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-m-12-years-sober-so-i-don-t-have-beer-when-i-used-to-drink-i-really/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) > [“We were still twirling around the tiny parking lot when the neighbors screamed 'Happy New Year'. Unfortunately we weren't sober enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-scott/we-were-still-twirling-around-the-tiny-parking-lot-when-the-neighbors/) [Kaitlin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-scott/) > [I was totally sober in college and really, really focused. I just took the time when other people might be partying and just made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-flay/i-was-totally-sober-in-college-and-really-really-focused-i-just-took/) [K. Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-flay/) > [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) ## More by Elton John > [For me music is so passionate. I have to give it my all every time I go onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/for-me-music-is-so-passionate-i-have-to-give-it-my-all-every-time-i/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [No tears to damn you when jealousy burns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/no-tears-to-damn-you-when-jealousy-burns/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [And we have come so far like that. I mean, the advances on the medication side have been enormous, and the advances on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/and-we-have-come-so-far-like-that-i-mean-the-advances-on-the/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids, in fact it's cold as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/mars-ain-t-the-kind-of-place-to-raise-your-kids-in-fact-it-s-cold-as/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-love-the-idea-of-the-teachings-of-jesus-christ-and-the-beautiful/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I'm not bored with my life. I'm not just making the records and touring, I would find that boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-m-not-bored-with-my-life-i-m-not-just-making-the-records-and/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I love places that have an incredible history. I love the Italian way of life. I love the food. I love the people. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-love-places-that-have-an-incredible-history-i-love-the-italian-way/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I used to get my money at the end of the week, buy my mum something, or buy a record, and that was it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-used-to-get-my-money-at-the-end-of-the-week-buy-my-mum-something-or/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [We have a society where every hit maker and TV presenter is gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/we-have-a-society-where-every-hit-maker-and-tv-presenter-is-gay/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I'm very relaxed. I'm very happy with my personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-m-very-relaxed-i-m-very-happy-with-my-personal-life/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [You can beat her, but don't mistreat her. Oh, don't believe that woman please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/you-can-beat-her-but-don-t-mistreat-her-oh-don-t-believe-that-woman/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [The Backstreet Boys can sing their asses off. I'm not so sure about those other boy bands. But Backstreet Boys have my ultimate respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/the-backstreet-boys-can-sing-their-asses-off-i-m-not-so-sure-about/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-grew-up-at-my-grandmother-s-house-and-she-had-a-beautiful-garden-i/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [ He \[Ryan White\] had a kind of angelic aura about him. And his family, too, it's like, they are going through all this suffering,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/he-ryan-white-had-a-kind-of-angelic-aura-about-him-and-his-family-too/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Welcome to the world of bullshit, my dear. You have arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/welcome-to-the-world-of-bullshit-my-dear-you-have-arrived/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) [Explore all 352 Elton John quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) ## More Drink quotes > [When you drink from the stream remember the spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinese-proverbs/when-you-drink-from-the-stream-remember-the-spring/) Chinese Proverbs > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [I do a lot of vocal exercises and drink hot tea, which I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/i-do-a-lot-of-vocal-exercises-and-drink-hot-tea-which-i-hate/) [Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/) > [“Never date a man who can’t out-drink you in tequila.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-l-maxwell/never-date-a-man-who-can-t-out-drink-you-in-tequila/) [Gina L. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-l-maxwell/) > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Obediently, I squash into a corner with a glass of cider. A chalkboard menu declares that the special of the day is stargazy pie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-madeleine/obediently-i-squash-into-a-corner-with-a-glass-of-cider-a-chalkboard/) [Laura Madeleine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-madeleine/) > [I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-still-get-nervous-about-singing-i-drink-tea-with-honey-and-lemon/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [“I don't drink since it ruined the best thing I ever had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-lauren/i-don-t-drink-since-it-ruined-the-best-thing-i-ever-had/) [Kimberly Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-lauren/) > [Before everyshow I do like a thousand... I drink ten glasses of water!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-brothers/before-everyshow-i-do-like-a-thousand-i-drink-ten-glasses-of-water/) [Jonas Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-brothers/) > [I've never even been into those supplements or any of that. I don't even drink energy shakes. I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I get pretty focused when I start working on something. And I drink a lot of water, way more than most people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-woodman/i-get-pretty-focused-when-i-start-working-on-something-and-i-drink-a/) [Nick Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-woodman/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) Browse all 5,653 Drink quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand, and that was the drugs, the drink, the loose sex, whatever.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elton John" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-way-i-lived-my-life-beforehand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drink" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-way-i-lived-my-life-beforehand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/elton-john-849_drink_basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-wa_1158623.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Basically, I wanted redemption for the way I lived my life beforehand, and that was the drugs, the drink…” — Elton John", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elton John", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Basically, I wanted redemption for the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-way-i-lived-my-life-beforehand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/basically-i-wanted-redemption-for-the-way-i-lived-my-life-beforehand/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```