Elton John - Bitter Fingers Lyrics

What a great summer this was. We would all sit in the car with our favorite beverages and smoking materials and sing along at the top of our lungs. I was a Junior at Mamaroneck High School and Elton was King of the World at the time - especially on a radio station in NYC called 99X (WXLO). It was like Elton radio and should have been called WELT instead..!! It was such a great time for amazing songs like this to be in our orbit.

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From Tumbleweed to Capt Fantastic,Elton and Bernie ruled the world. Amazing talent

Phenomenal! Everything about it! This song, 1975, this album, Outta this world!

Love this album. Just 12 at the time, listening to it more in detail now. ☮️🇨🇦

Maravilhoso.Great.Beautiful.Love.

😃⤴️

I love E.J. , I love this album but...I love Dee Murray... thanks of all!

In a 2 yr span Elton released:

Good Bye Yellow Brick Rroad
Caribou (The Bitch is Back)
Elton John's Greatest Hits
Captain Fantastc
Rock of the Westies (West of the Rockies)

They wanted to release "Harmony" as a single off "Good Bye Yellow Brick Road" but they didn't because he already had another two albums finished.

"I'm sick of tra la la las and la dee das."
No he's not. He loves them!

This playback seems slow, downtempo.

Keyboard player's hallow haunted eyes...

Born in 1961 and still listening in 12JN19

Born in 56 and still listening. Saw him twice in concert in the 70s . Best ever! ❤❤❤

THIS NEEDS TO NE A MUSICAL THIS WHOLE ALBUM THEY ARE SO TALENTED TIMELESS

I think they've made a film about it … ho, ho.
Pity none of this this great album's songs are in it!

THIS IS A GREAT SONG KIDS NEED TO HEAR THESE SONGS

My cousin Mike had all EJ's albums. This album sticks out, because the cover freaked me out, and fascinated me at the same time. I was just 7 then. Mike took his own life in 2013, and he was like a brother to me. Love you and miss you, Mike.

28 persons aren't sick of "tra-la-las" and "lah-dee-dahs" !

Just great! Great comment!

@Thomas Roman Now are 38!

Still have my 1975 record in the safe.

The early to mid 1970s were Elton's very best years!

only the Beatles come close

Luv the album cover..

to me elton was always a good singer a VERY POWERFULL VOICE and he to this day has a goog voice THANKS ELTON YOU ARE A NICE ONE

I love Elton John.

Master piece...I'll be watching him next June 2019 in Madrid

daniragtime Same here amigo!

Am incredible album! I was 11yrs old! I saved my allowance for this album in 1975! Elton John will always be a part of my childhood! Thank you so much Reginald Dwight!! Love you always!

Hi Elton you followed me wow you will not stop what a hero thanks

Dee Murray was a very underrated Bass Player

Elton began in Denmark St when still called Reg Dwight. This song is about that street. The Story of London's Denmark St aka Tin Pan Alley is told here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eG2qeN7GUE

Top 4 songs on this album: 1: "Meal Ticket, 2. "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy," 3. "Bitter Fingers," 4. and the overplayed on every EJ greatest hits album "Someone Saved my Life Tonight." Just in my personal opinion. What I like best.

Elton/Bernie's song about Denmark St no less! Check out this Tin Pan Alley, Denmark St, London . Film Trailer here at this Youtube page

Great memories that summer of 1975!

Great album still when my sister and i first heard this album over and over it still is great to me and my sis

1975 Elton John ruled the world!

great album, this song make me thrill!

Totally forgot how good this album is!

2018-1975=43 years ago! The fact that you wrote "is", rather than "was", is another witness of that

I'm going on the circuit, I'm doing all the clubs
And I really need a song, boys, to stir those workers up
And get their wives to sing it with me just like in the pubs
When I worked the good old pubs in Stepney.

Oh could you knock a line or two together for a friend
Sentimental tear inducing with a happy end
And we need a tune to open our season at Southend
Can you help us?

It's hard to write a song with bitter fingers
So much to prove, so few to tell you why
Those old die-hards in Denmark Street start laughing
At the keyboard player's hollow haunted eyes
It seems to me a change is really needed
I'm sick of tra-la-las and la-de-das
No more long days hawking hunks of garbage
Bitter fingers never swung on swinging stars, swinging stars.

I like the warm blue flame, the hazy heat it brings
It loosens up the muscles and forces you to sing
You know it's just another hit and run from the tin pan alley twins

And there's a chance that one day you might write a standard, lads,
So churn them out thick and fast and we'll still pat your backs
`Cause we need what we can get to launch another dozen acts
Are you working?

It's hard to write a song with bitter fingers
So much to prove, so few to tell you why
Those old die-hards in Denmark Street start laughing
At the keyboard player's hollow haunted eyes
It seems to me a change is really needed
I'm sick of tra-la-las and la-de-das
No more long days hawking hunks of garbage
Bitter fingers never swung on swinging stars, swinging stars

It's hard to write a song with bitter fingers
So much to prove, so few to tell you why
Those old die-hards in Denmark Street start laughing
At the keyboard player's hollow haunted eyes
It seems to me a change is really needed
I'm sick of tra-la-las and la-de-das
No more long days hawking hunks of garbage
Bitter fingers never swung on swinging stars, swinging stars

La-de-das, swing stars, swinging stars
It's hard to write a song with bitter fingers
So much to prove, so few to tell you why
Those old die-hards in Denmark Street start laughing.

the first album to debut at #1

When I was in London 3 yrs. ago, I went down to Denmark Street and imagined myself there in the late 60's... what it must had been like 45 yrs. prior. That had to have been a time to have been there... London's version of NYC's Tin Pan Alley. Ended up at a club called Ronnie Scott's a couple blocks away... got myself smashed, woke up in my hotel room next morning across the street from King's Cross... front desk said it was the bar tender dragged my ass back.

My 1st album

One of Elton Johns best songs!

This is THE Elton John album. 1975 he ruled the world.

No doubt!

He was HOT HOT HOT THEN,!!!!

Imagine if Elton made videos to this allbum :)

There's an incredible statistic about Elton John that will never be approached. The year of Captain Fantastic's release, 1975, one out of every 5 albums sold on planet earth was an EJ album! 20%. Incredible dominance!

The Beatles might have come close to the 20% in 1964.

Very cool statistics.

EJ was just out of this world back then. What a talented band.

lol sounds like fibs, there are no statistics to back that up

@Mr Matt dick

These were the historical days of 'Caribou Ranch, Colorado.' And by the time the ink had dried on this particular album, history was made - it was finished. No other 'Pop Musician' would ever catch him again.

For a young person you know your stuff! I assume thats you in profile puc?

Solid Asian Gold good song writer is this.very true,I wish to get back into friend's.

Solid Asian Gold Sorry to burst your bubble but according to Billboard, Rolling Stone and Wiki, Madonna, Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan are all ahead of Elton J. In popularity and record sales.

@Cory Allen Solid Asian Gold probably wasn't talking about simple stats.

what he said

I always chuckle when I hear this one, because I can see it actually happening to him. I believe the song is true in every aspect. Bitter fingers never swung from swingin' stars!

Bernie Taupin wrote that. It's Elton's nimble, bitter finger tinkling the keys!

Ahhhhhhhh. Needed to hear this. Do they even have bands this good now? The bass, the lead guitar, drums...so distinctly them...
So tight.

Tish Cortez No, our society has diluted to a simpleton force of noise and drug culture pushing into simpleton gangster rap.

NO NOT ANYMORE

No, it's gone the way of food. Franchised junk food.

Dee Murray was an incredible bass player...

esse disco e foda!!!

Elton John is not just one of my favorite musical artists, but one of my favorite people of all time.

A TRUE CLASSIC  listened to this when i was 10 now 51 One of the Top Albums of all time!

I listened at age 15\16 in california. he is loved the world over.

ontarioman100 i was 13

The best album

...Ahh the best--Elton was on top form!!