CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY

'''Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy''' is the ninth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975.

Contents

History

Later releases

Track listing

Bonus tracks (1996 CD reissue)

Bonus tracks (2005 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Singles

Personnel

Production

Charts

History

''Captain Fantastic'' is a concept album that gives an autobiographical look at the struggles John (Captain Fantastic) and lyricist Bernie Taupin (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) had in the early years of their musical careers in London (from 1967 to 1969). The lyrics and accompanying photo booklet are infused with a specific sense of place and time that would otherwise be rare in John's music.
The record debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart, the first to ever do so, and stayed there for seven weeks. It has gone on to be certified as triple platinum. On the UK Albums Chart, the record peaked at number 2.
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight", the only single released from the album (and a number 4 hit on the U.S. Pop Singles chart), is a semi-autobiographical story about John's disastrous engagement to Linda Woodrow, and his related 1969 suicide attempt. The "Someone" refers to Long John Baldry, who convinced him to break off the engagement rather than ruin his music career for an unhappy marriage. It was generally viewed as the best track on the album; ''Rolling Stone'' writer Jon Landau said, "As long as Elton John can bring forth one performance per album on the order of 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight', the chance remains that he will become something more than the great entertainer he already is and go on to make a lasting contribution to rock."
In 2006, John and Taupin released a sequel to ''Captain Fantastic.'' According to Eltonjohn.com, the album, titled ''The Captain & The Kid,'' "features ten new songs reflecting on the phenomenal success, the sadnesses, the creativity and the optimism within the 39-year songwriting partnership of Elton John and Bernie Taupin."

Later releases

"Philadelphia Freedom" was originally released as a non-album single, but years later was included as a bonus track on the remastered ''Captain Fantastic'' CD reissue. The song was dedicated to tennis player Billie Jean King, who coached a tennis team called the Philadelphia Freedoms.
A deluxe 30th Anniversary edition CD was released September 2005, containing the complete album and the bonus tracks included on prior reissues and adding the new to CD B-side "House of Cards". Also included is a second disc containing the complete album performed live at Wembley in 1975.
In September 2005, Elton John and his band again performed the entire album (minus "Tower Of Babel" and "Writing") in a series of sold-out concerts in Boston, New York City and the tour's final stop, Atlanta, in October. These "Captain Fantastic Concerts" were a part of the Peachtree Road Tour and were the longest concerts in Elton's career, lasting nearly three and a half hours. The songs from ''Captain Fantastic'' were aired by Capital Gold Radio in a broadcast taken from the September 16, 2005 performance in Boston.

Track listing

#"Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" – 5:46
#"Tower of Babel" – 4:28
#"Bitter Fingers" – 4:34
#"Tell Me When the Whistle Blows" – 4:20
# "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" – 6:45
#"(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket" – 4:01
#"Better Off Dead" – 2:37
#"Writing" – 3:40
#"We All Fall in Love Sometimes" – 4:11
#"Curtains" – 6:40

- 1. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy -
This song introduces the two main characters. Elton John of course is the Captain, whilst the Cowboy is Bernie Taupin. The Captain's moniker is self-proclaimed (Hardly a hero, just someone his mother might know). The Cowboy longs to leave his country lifestyle which appears to be idyllic (sweet chocolate biscuits and red rosy apples in summer), but isn't for him. The song references the advertisment which led to John and Taupin meeting (Do the papers say anything good). We also learn about the dreams that the Captain and the Kid (another name for Bernie, who seemed to be naive to life in the city). The main dream is playing in a band on a stage. They don't know how long it'll take to achieve but they want to be famous (from the end of the world to your town).

- 2. Tower of Babel -
On the cover of the album, there are some weird "people" or "characters". Some of these specifically relate to this track. Bernie Taupin launches a scathing attack on the record industry. All the references within the song are derogatory. There are references to sin and the Bible throughout.
The tower of Babel was a tower built in Babylon (in the Bible). The people built it to get to God, and Heaven. But God destroyed it, as it was full of sinful and immoral people. So that's what he thinks of the people in the record industry!
If someone "Sits in his Ivory tower" he is sheltered, and separated from the real world. Bernie places them in Ivory young towers (Young people, new industry).
Most other references state that it's all drugs,sex and rock n roll! The song notes; call girls / "Junk, Angel"-drugs.
A sinful person in the Bible is Cain (he killed his brother Abel) Abel was meant to be "pure". So when Elton met the record bosses it was "Cain meet Abel". Two cities destroyed by God for being immoral were Sodom and Gomarrah. "Sodom meet Gomarrah".
In short Bernie hasn't got a good word to say about the record industry, particularly the powerful owners.
- 3. Bitter Fingers -
This one is straight forward. If someone is bitter about something, he resent doing it. The song is about Elton and Bernie being bitter (resentful) about writing songs for other people during their early days with "Dick James Music".
"It's hard to write a song with bitter fingers"
Elton and Bernie were asked to write for other artists, and
"to churn them out thick and fast".
Most of the songs were poor because they were having to write them on demand to a style to suit other artisits. Usually sentimental / love songs.
"Oh can you knock a line or two together for a friend, sentimental tear indusive with a happy end".
This, in the end, turned out to be a good thing. Because they were poor songs, few artisits wanted to perform them, so when they were depressed and down, it was suggested that they should perform them theirselves. When they wrote for theirselves, their own styles came through, and they started to write great songs. A chap called Steve Brown, heard the songs that they had written for themselves, and said it was better than the commercial songs they had written for other artisits. He told them to write for theirselves, and stop writing to a formula for the record company.
The song also refers to Elton having bitter fingers playing as well as writing: He was sick of touring the small venues with Bluesology (Elton John's band with whom he played before he gots famous), going from one club / pub to another, often with more than one booking in one day. Travelling around in vans carrying all their instruments from one pub to another..
"I'm going on the circuit, doing all the clubs".
and...
"It seems to me a change is really needed, I'm sick of tra la las and la de das, no more long days hocking hunks
of garbage".
- 4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows -
This song is only about Bernie. He was very homesick when he went to London to meet and work with Elton and he often longed to go home to Lincolnshire. He missed his quiet country life, and his family:
"And I still feel the need of your apron strings once in a while". (This means that he is "tied" to his mother, to be a bit of a mummy's boy, to be homesick).
The song deals with Bernie's journeys back home, and his longing to go back to visit his home town. When a train departs a station (in England) a station guard will check his watch, check the doors and BLOW HIS WHISTLE. A train obviously has steel wheels:
"Wake me up, and tell me when the whitle blows".
"I want to feel your wheels of steel, underneath my itching heels".
The song shows Bernie's experience that London was so very different to his rural life back in the Lincolnshire countryside. London has drunks on the streets. Londoners are less friendly:
"There's a dusty old gutter he's lying in now" (This doesn't refers to a specific individual).
"With a cold vacant stare, he said nine" (cold and unfriendly)
"It's not so bad, but I really do love the land". London is only bearable. Bernie loved countryside, and ranches!
The song also notes Bernies concerns that when he went back home, would his friends think he was no longer a friend, now that he had a "better life" in London. Would he be a changed person?
"Will the street kids remember can I still shoot a fast cue (play pool or snooker) Has this country kid still got his soul"
- 5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight -
In 1968 Bernie walked into their flat to find Elton with his head in the gas oven, in what is thought to be more of a cry for help, than a serious suicide attempt. Bernie laughed rather than panicked. (The windows were open for the gas to escape).
Elton was engaged and due to marry Linda Anne Woodrow. He was altar bound. This is before Elton has come to terms with his sexual orientation. He realised that he could not go through with the wedding and considered suicide as a way out.
"You almost had your hooks in me, didn't you dear, you nearly had me roped and tied, altar bound, hypnotised, sweet freedom whispered in my ear, you're a butterfly, and butterflies are free to fly, fly away, high away, bye, bye".
His bride to be, was "well off", and came from a wealthy family that owned a pickle factory. She was more middle class than working class, and it was she that drove the marriage plans forward. She dominated him:
"I'm strangled by your haunted social scene, just a pawn outplayed by a dominating queen".
Elton very nearly went through with the wedding. He reflects that it would have been like dying / drowning / hanging:
"I almost walked into the deep end of the river" also "A slip noose hanging in my darkest dreams"
He refers to her wealth:
"Clinging to your stocks and bonds" "Paying your h.p. demands forever". H.P. is hire purchase where people pay each week / month for something (before credit cards). She did not need H.P. she was wealthy, so Bernie is implying that her financial contribution to their relationship was making Elton feel that he owed her something. Or she felt Elton was owned by her and her wealth:
Elton was "saved" by Bernie, but the song also refers to Long John Baldry who is the "sugar bear". In a conversation with Bernie and Long John Baldry, in a pub, where they have all had a lot to drink: Long John Baldry tells Elton that he should not be getting married (He has realised that Elton is homosexual) and Elton decides that he will not get married:
"and it's one more beer and I don't here you anymore"
Elton goes round to Linda's at 4a.m. to tell her that he is not getting married.
"It's 4 o'clock in the morning damn it, listen to me good, I'm sleeping with myself tonight, saved in time..
(Elton also knew if he got married, he would lose his musical career)
"thank God my music's still alive".
- 6. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket -
The saying "To get a meal ticket" has 2 very similar meanings: Originally charities would go around the streets of large cities, and hand out a "meal ticket" to the homeless sleeping rough on the streets. The homeless person could go to a building where they could sit down and enjoy a free meal. Over the years "to get a meal ticket" has come to mean, to obtain a means of making a livelihood / earning a living.
The song reflects on Elton's (and probably Bernie's) lowly status when they set out in life. Elton was an office boy in Denmark street London for "Mills music". Elton was the junior, and made the tea! Bernie makes out that they were desperately poor, but it's more a bit of an exaggeration for humorous affect. A bit tongue in cheek / humorous. They clearly had limited earnings and had to rent somewhere to live, so money was tight, although Elton was earning money from playing in the Northwood Hills pub.
The humourous lines like "I'd have a cardiac if I had such luck" (If I were luckier I would be dead). "Lucky losers landing on skid row". (The poor homeless on Skid row, are more fortunate)! Skid Row, was a part of a city where the poor and homeless walked / lived. (Was Skid road).
The song reflects on the richer and livelier characters of the area, who flaunted their money. "While the Diamond Jims, (richer showy characters) and the Kings road pimps (men controlling the prostitutes in Kings road area of London) breath heavy in their brand new clothes, "I'm on the bottom line".
The song then refers specifically to Elton and Bernie obtaining their "Meal ticket" / finding their livelihood, when they were offered a recording contract with Dick James Music.. Normally, when someone gets a record contract he shake hands on the deal and has to sign a contract to agree the terms: "Shake a hand if you have to" "When the lines been signed, you're someone else, a meal ticket does the rest" Bernie has another moan at the record industry and it's power and greed, when they made that offer of a contract to Elton and Bernie: "With 50 percent, that's hard to handle".
- 7. Better Off Dead -
The song reflects on Elton & Bernies early days as professional songwriters for Dick James music (the Beetles record company at the time).
Like in "Bitter Fingers" they were writing songs for other people and in a style that was demanded from them to fit the trends at the time. In an interview in 1976 Elton described this time, and their songs as; "When we signed with Dick James Music, it was like two years of misery, writing garbage"
Bernie does not mean that things were so bad, that they believed that they would be better off dead (although he might do). He means that living in London, in the poor surroundings, writing for other people, that they would be "better off dead" than remaining in that situation in the future, and that things had to change.
To have a "thorn in your side" means to be unhappy / have an irritating situation / to have distress / endure a hard time. Bernie is referring to those first 2 years, as Elton did in his interview.
As from the song "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" Bernie was a country boy, and not only disliked London, but he found it to be a big culture shock for a country boy. He specifically recounts with horror the worst aspects of LONDON:
-Vandalism: "There was a face on a hoarding that someone had drawn on"
-Crime: "Away in the distance was a blue flashing light" "Someone's in trouble somewhere tonight" "We watched the arrested get taken away"
-Litter and garbage on the streets: "The wind blows away all of yesterday's news".
Prostitution, and drunkards: "As the whores and the drunks filed in from the streets"
There could also be another reference to Eltons girlfriend -as per earlier song- "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" as an English Rose can describe a pretty English girl.
"If a thorn of a ROSE is a thorn in your side, then your better of dead if you haven't yet died"
The song isn't all doom and gloom. A chap called Steve Brown a promotions man for "Dick James Music" told Elton and Bernie not to be so disillusioned, and to stop writing to a formula, to ignore what was asked of them, and just to do their own thing in their own style. I think the song refers to this point, and notes their new enthusiasm and readiness to write;
"Cos the steams in the boiler the coals in the fire, if you ask how I am then I'll just say inspired".
The song reflects on all the negative images that Bernie remembers in their first two years, when they struggled, and Bernie's shock at the negative side of living in a capital city. But Elton very cleverly gave the song an upbeat rhythm, and the band were also inspired in what is possibly Elton's most DISTINCTIVE sound.
- 8. Writing -
This song is in stark contrast to the depressing lyrics of "Better off dead". WRITING is a light hearted celebration of Elton and Bernies happy times when they wrote songs for theirselves, in their own style. When Bernie moved down to London in 1967 from Lincolnshire, he had nowhere to live, so shared Elton's room, in "Frome court". This was a large house that had been made into flats / maisonettes and they shared the flat with Sheila (Elton's mum) and Fred (his step dad). Although moving to London had many drawbacks for Bernie (as detailed in early tracks) Bernie found that writing with Elton was joyful, and their friendship was formed for life. They were great friends, and admired each others talent immensely. The song celebrates there abilities, and their success. The whole song has a happy, simple feel, to it that reflects how they felt.
The song simply recalls some of the details of this time, and how they were so obsessed with writing all the time, that they forgot to look after other aspects of life, like shopping, washing up, or even bothering to do anything else:
"Is there anything left, maybe steak and eggs,waking up to washing up, making up your bed, my razor blade could use a better edge".
Elton and Bernie's friendship grew. They needed each other. Neither one could do it on their own:
"I know you, you know me, It's always half and half".
They knew that some of the songs were very good, but would other people think so, would Elton and Bernie like them when the heard them the next day, would people like them in years to come?
"Will the things we wrote today, sound as good tomorrow. Will we still be writing in approaching years".
The song stresses that turn of fortune when they wrote in their own style:
"Cause writing's lightin' up, and I like life enough to see it through".
In the next line Bernie is "showing off", for himself and Elton. He is saying "we are getting very good at this! I can construct DIFFICULT and UNUSUAL lyrics, and Elton will still be able to make it into a great song." Bernie is also celebrating their skills with these lines:
"Inspiration for navigation of our new found craft"
"But don't disturb us if you hear us tryin' to instigate the structure of another line or two"
Bernie knew that Elton could turn complex phrase into great songs, as Elton knew Bernie would provide lyrics that would "sound as good tomorrow".
- 9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes -
There aren't many men in 1969 that would tell their best friend that they loved them! But that's what Bernie is writing about; his love for Elton, and Elton's love for Bernie. They meant very much to each other. Without each other they were immensely talented but frustrated and unable to express their talent. Together they were brilliant, and their talents could and did flourish. They had found their soul mate, and loved their time together, loved their achievements, and songwriting, and fell in love. (Platonic love).
Although the album Captain Fantastic was released in 1975, The album is their story together but only from 1967 to 1969. When they met and wrote songs, and achieved their first album release (EMPTY SKY). At first they were unsuccessful, unhappy and bored writing for other writers:
"And only passing time, could kill the boredom we acquired, running with the losers for a while"
(and also) "Just before the flood (flood of success) Painting worried faces with a smile"
and then happiness...
"And our EMPTY SKY was filled with laughter".
They enabled each other talents to flourish, and had so much admiration, they fell in love:
"We wrote it, and I played it, something happened, it's so strange this feeling,
naive notions that were childish, simple tunes that tried to hide it, but when it comes, we all fall in love sometimes".
"When even your best friend says, we all fall in love sometimes"
The song is simply about Elton and Bernie's love for each other. Despite the tantrums and "separations" they still have a deep love and admiration for each other, as they have expressed many times in interviews.
- 10. Curtains -
At the end of a performance in a theatre, the CURTAIN comes down. This song is the end of the story that is "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy". The final curtain is simply about Bernie remembering being a small child, and then a teenager in Lincolnshire, before he left for London to meet Elton. As a small child Bernie would play amongst the countryside / fields /farm land and even amongst the scarecrows. He remembers both happy and sad times playing as a child:
"I used to know this old scarecrow, he was my joy, my joy and sorrow".
He paints a picture that the area was quiet, and maybe that the future for the area was less prosperous, as farming was not doing too well:
"Cast alone between the furrows, no longer sown by anyone".
As a child Bernie's friends liked pick a dandelion and blow on it. It would lose many of it's flowers / seed heads. The seed heads covered the full globe the dandelion, but as they blew away those left would tell you the time! Bernie combines his childhood memory with his decision to leave and go to London, knowing that he will not be in the fields next summer enjoying the countryside:
"I held a dandelion, that said the time had come, to leave upon the wind, not to return when summer burns the
earth again".
Bernie then reflects on his childhood "sweetheart" and the time he spent with her / feeling love for a younggirl, he would write poems or love poems, or even just carve their names on trees:
" Cultivate the freshest flower this garden ever grew, beneath these branches I once wrote such childish words for you"
He realises that it wasn't just him that left and found a new life, most children grew up and found their own life:
"But that's okay, there's treasure children always seem to find, and just like us, you must have had, a once upon a time".

Bonus tracks (1996 CD reissue)

#"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6:18
#"One Day At a Time" (Lennon) – 3:49
#"Philadelphia Freedom" – 5:23

Bonus tracks (2005 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

DISC ONE (Follows original album)
#"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6:18
#"One Day At a Time" (Lennon) – 3:49
#"Philadelphia Freedom" – 5:23
#"House of Cards" – 3:12

DISC TWO (Live from "Midsummer Music" at Wembley Stadium, June 21, 1975)

#"Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" - 7:02
#"Tower of Babel" - 4:38
#"Bitter Fingers" - 5:06
#"Tell Me When the Whistle Blows" - 4:39
#"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" - 7:17
#"(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket" - 7:19
#"Better Off Dead" - 3:01
#"Writing" - 5:30
#"We All Fall in Love Sometimes" - 3:57
#"Curtains" - 8:48
#"Pinball Wizard" (Pete Townshend) - 6:31
#"Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting" - 7:40
All songs by John/Taupin, except where noted.

Singles

US/UK 7" Single (1975):

A. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" - 6:45

B. "House of Cards" - 3:09

Personnel

★ Elton John - synthesizer, piano, strings, harpsichord, keyboard, electric piano, vocals, clavinet, harmony vocals, mellotron, ARP, string ensemble, lum-de-lums

★ Ray Cooper - percussion, bongos, conga, cymbals, gong, tambourine, triangle, bells, shaker, jawbone, bell tree

★ David Hentschel - synthesizer, keyboard, ARP

★ Davey Johnstone - synthesizer, acoustic guitar, guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals

★ Dee Murray - bass, background vocals

★ Nigel Olsson - drums, background vocals

★ John Lennon (credited as Dr. Winston O' Boogie) - guitar

Production

★ Producers: Gus Dudgeon, Greg Penny

★ Engineer: Jeff Guercio

★ Mixing: Greg Penny

★ Remixing: Gus Dudgeon, Phil Dunne

★ Remastering: Tony Cousins

★ Assistant: Mark Guercio

★ Digital transfers: Ricky Graham

★ Surround sound: Greg Penny

★ Orchestral arrangements: Gene Page

★ Art direction: David Larkham, Bernie Taupin

★ Graphic conception: David Larkham, Bernie Taupin

★ Cover design: Alan Aldridge

★ Package design: David Larkham

★ Illustrations: Alan Aldridge

★ Liner notes: John Tobler

Charts

'Album' -

Year	Chart	Position
1975	UK Album Chart	2
1975	US Billboard Pop Albums	1

'Singles'

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1975	Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds	UK Singles Chart	10
1975	Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds	US Billboard Pop Singles	1
1975	Philadelphia Freedom	UK Singles Chart	12
1975	Philadelphia Freedom	US Billboard Black Singles	32
1975	Philadelphia Freedom	US Billboard Pop Singles	1
1975	Someone Saved My Life Tonight	UK Singles Chart	22
1975	Someone Saved My Life Tonight	Pop Singles	4