Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
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| "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Elton John | ||
| from the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | ||
| Released | 1973 | |
| Format | Vinyl Record (7") | |
| Recorded | Chateau d'Hierouville | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 4:54 | |
| Label | MCA | |
| Writer(s) | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | |
| Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||
| "Daniel" (1973) |
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (1973) |
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) |
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (sometimes written "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)") is a rock & roll song performed by musician Elton John. The song was written by Bernie Taupin and composed by John for his album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and is written in the key of C Major. It is one of John's harder-rocking songs (Like "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own"), with a sound similar to bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones (indeed The Who would cover it in 1991). The song completely destroyed his past renown as a mellow singer/songwriter.[1]
The song was released in 1973 (see 1973 in music) as the album's first single, and entered the Top Ten in the U.K and the Top 20 in the U.S. Despite only being a modest hit compared to his other hits, it remains one of his best-known songs.
In 1988 it was covered on Flotsam and Jetsam's album No Place for Disgrace. In 2003 it was also performed by Nickelback (featuring Kid Rock) and included in the soundtrack for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. It is also used by the U.S. cable network Showtime as introduction music for its Showtime Championship Boxing series (as the series airs on the first Saturday of each month). An edited version of the song is used at the end of the opening tease for the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, as that series airs on Saturday nights. It is also used as the theme song for TBS's Saturday Night College Football.
Contents |
[edit] Composition and inspiration
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" is a lively throwback to early rock & roll with a glam edge; the lyrics discuss a night out in town in which the narrator plans to "get about as oiled as a diesel train." Taupin has said that the song was meant to be an American rock & roll song, set in Britain, and was inspired by his raucous teenage days. This song was the only song that came out of Elton's time in Jamaica, where he was going to finish the rest of the album, but he only wrote this song because of riots happening while he was in Kingston, Jamaica. After the writing of this song, John went back to France to finish the album.
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting was actually written by Taupin about the fights happening in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire[citation needed]. Taupin lived close to the town, and went to De Aston high school when he was a teenager. The song was written as above about Vicious fights between rivals from the towns Caistor and Market Rasen, taking place in Market Rasen market square. Elton John also attended Taupin's wedding in the town.
[edit] Chart performance
The single peaked at #12 in the U.S., and #7 in the UK. It was his only song to not make the U.S. Top Ten in the three year period between 1973 and 1976.
[edit] Format and tracklist
- UK/U.S. 7" single
- "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" 4:54
- "Jack Rabbit" 1:50
- "Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)" 2:50
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
[edit] References
- ^ Classic Rock Gold (liner notes).
- "BBC: The Official UK Charts Company". United Kingdom sales chart. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
- "Billboard". Billboard Hot 100 airplay and sales charts. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
