Ticking Lyrics
"He's always taking interest in subjects that he's taught."
So what was it that brought the squad car screaming up your drive to notify your parents of the manner in which you died?
"He's unconcerned with competition, he never cares to win!"
But bloodstained hands that had never held a gun
and you parents who never thought of you as their troubled son
Remember Mama's words, TICKING, TICKING
"grow up straight and true blue, run along to bed"
HEARING TICKING, TICKING
SCREAMING FOR A PRIEST
some gook said "His brain's just snapped,"
THEN SOMEONE CALLED THE POLICE
You knifed a negro waiter who had tried to calm you down and pulled a gun and told them all to lay still on the ground
A young man tried to make a break, with tear filled eyes you KILLED
That gun butt felt so smooth and warm cradled in your palm
Your childhood cried out into your head "they mean to do you harm!"
Remember mama's words, TICKING TICKING
"pay your penance well my child, fear where angels tread"
HEARING TICKING TICKING
"A Male Caucasian with a Gun Has Gone Berserk In Queens"
the area had been sealed off, the kids sent home from school
Fourteen people lying dead in a bar called THE KICKING MULE
"THROW OUT YOUR GUN, WALK OUT SLOW
"JUST KEEP YOUR HANDS HELD HIGH"
but they pumped you full of rifle shells and you stepped out the door
you danced in the devil light, a marionette, on the vengeance of the law
Remember mama's words
TICKING
TICKING
"crazy boy, you'll only wind up with strange notions in your head,"
HEARING
TICKING
TICKING
TICKING
An old Vincent Price movie called 'Targets" inspired Bernie Taupin to write this excellent lyric. A model young man snaps and goes on a desperado shooting spree. The analogy is that he was a 'ticking' timebomb all along, and no one ever saw it coming. Sad but all too common. This is probably my favorite Elton song.
One change, though (near the end) it's: "...you danced in death like a marionette"
"One change, though (near the end) it's: "...you danced in death like a marionette" Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, thought I might be wrong. My favorite Elton song too, with 2nd being "All the Girls Love Alice". I guess I like his creepy and depressing songs the best. :) Great song.
Such a good song, just Elton and piano with these excellent lyrics. It's just so haunting, and I love the improvisations he does with the piano.
this song and "come down in time" are the best Elton and Bernie have made ------by far
Brilliant piano.
In today's politically correct times, I don't think it would be possible to record a song that shows such empathy for a mass killer. It almost scares me to listen to it, as if anyone could snap and lose control. I love it, but don't think I should listen to it too often.
@matt4444 I agree. It seems they want to put everyone in cookie-cutters, and we know that cookie-cutters don't fit humans. And there's this old school thinking that "whatever I went through as a child is all the current children will be going through," or something. SO wrong. I'm 62. Today is FAR different from my childhood, far different from my young-adult years, too. Why do so many of my fellow old-farts not see that?
@matt4444 I agree. It seems they want to put everyone in cookie-cutters, and we know that cookie-cutters don't fit humans. And there's this old school thinking that "whatever I went through as a child is all the current children will be going through," or something. SO wrong. I'm 62. Today is FAR different from my childhood, far different from my young-adult years, too. Why do so many of my fellow old-farts not see that?
And yes - Brilliant piano (as always!).
And yes - Brilliant piano (as always!).
This BT lyric is so haunting (& appopriate) considering it was written back in 1974 & could more easily be appiled to the days in which we now live. And EJ's musical interpretation makes it even more so moving. What a wake up call it could be to people if the stars aligned for whomever is now out there, ticking.....
Great song I agree with pretty much everything everyone else said. The meaning is pretty clear but I've often wondered if his violent outburst wasn't unprovoked.
The lyrics
'they had you holed up in a downtown bar, SCREAMING FOR A PRIEST'
seems to insinuate that he was in danger in some way or at least he thought he was. The latter seems to make more sense since someone tried to calm him down. Perhaps he was imagining that someone meant to do him harm as is said in a latter lyric. Who knows, doesn't really excuse his actions but it's interesting to think about.
I was a huge Elton John fan in the seventies and have always loved this song. I think it's just straight story telling from Bernie. I also love the musical arrangement which helps the song flow nicely through the different passages. The song is so haunting I can't just listen to it once and sometimes listen to it four or five times straight!
Absolutely superb, storytelling at it's best. It has stood the test of time and is probably my favourite EJ song (along with Indian Sunset) although I have never cared that much for the rest of the album which, after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, was a huge disappointment.
That's so funny. The 2 songs you mentioned are not very well known but also my 2 favorite EJ songs. Another one of my favorites, which is also not well known is 'Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters'.
That's so funny. The 2 songs you mentioned are not very well known but also my 2 favorite EJ songs. Another one of my favorites, which is also not well known is 'Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters'.
@steeviec60 - I feel very much the same, but Captain Fantastic was my last album. Rock of the Westies had some fun bits to it, but CF was my last. Sadly.
@steeviec60 - I feel very much the same, but Captain Fantastic was my last album. Rock of the Westies had some fun bits to it, but CF was my last. Sadly.
wasn't this song actually based on a spree killing in new york during the 1960's?
The movie TARGETS was one of director Peter Bogdonovich's first, and though it didnt have Vincent Price it DID have Boris Karloff so Groucho2 can be forgiven. The character and actions of the killer are patterned after Charles Whitman, the University of Texas sniper.