"Well, I've had my fair share in Britain of battling the tabloids"
About this Quote
The intent is both defensive and preemptive. “Battling” turns gossip into combat, repositioning him from tabloid subject to tabloid opponent. It’s a refusal to accept the press’s favorite script: celebrity as frivolous spectacle. He’s pointing to the asymmetry of power in British media culture, where tabloids have long operated as moral police, class enforcers, and profit machines. For a queer superstar whose private life was treated as public property for decades, the “battle” isn’t abstract. It’s about dignity, control, and the right to be complicated without being punished for it.
The subtext is also strategic PR literacy. Elton John knows the tabloids feed on reaction, and he’s signaling he can’t be easily baited. Coming from someone who has sued newspapers and publicly condemned them, the line reads like a warning: he understands the game, he’s played it longer than they have, and he’s not afraid to make the fight part of his legacy rather than a footnote in theirs.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
John, Elton. (n.d.). Well, I've had my fair share in Britain of battling the tabloids. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-ive-had-my-fair-share-in-britain-of-battling-43418/
Chicago Style
John, Elton. "Well, I've had my fair share in Britain of battling the tabloids." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-ive-had-my-fair-share-in-britain-of-battling-43418/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Well, I've had my fair share in Britain of battling the tabloids." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-ive-had-my-fair-share-in-britain-of-battling-43418/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.






