Texan Love Song Lyrics
With a cute little thing I'd been dating uptown
Well I don't know if I like that idea much
Well you'd better stay clear, I might start acting rough
Think all of us boys here are homespun and green
But that's wrong my friend so get this through your head
We're tough and we're Texan with necks good and red
You long hairs are sure gonna die
Our American home was clean till you came
And kids still respected the president's name
And the eagle still flew in the sky
Hearts filled with national pride
Then you came along with your drug-crazy songs
God dammit you're all gonna die
Oh it's made for us workers who sweat, spit, and swear
The minds of our daughters are poisoned by you
With your communistic politics and them nigger blues
Run all of you fairies clean out of this town
Oh I'm dog tired of watching you mess up our lives
Spending the summertime naturally high
You long hairs are sure gonna die
Our American home was clean till you came
And kids still respected the president's name
And the eagle still flew in the sky
Hearts filled with national pride
Then you came along with your drug-crazy songs
God dammit you're all gonna die
God dammit, you're all gonna die
Oh lord, God dammit you're all gonna die
It sounds like the perspective of the hippy-killers in "Easy Rider". Or someone who might've hassled someone like, say, Elton John and his bandmates while visiting the country around that same time.
I've known this song ever since I bought the CD when I was in college in the 80s. But I never absorbed the lyrics like I did just now. And it struck me how nothing has changed in America. Bernie's lyrics work perfectly in 2022, just as they did 50 years ago. Racism, homophobia, flat out out bigotry, all based on irrational anger disguised as Archie Bunker-style "patriotism." Fat Clown was fond of playing songs from Madman Across the Water at his hate rallies and, most appropriately, when he spoke overseas. But he should have played this song when he visted Texas. I swear that sweaty mofo was trolling everybody all time. This would have been the perfect ironic song to warm up his crowd of poorly educated suckers.
There was a copy of this Lp in my family from the week it came out, via my older sister. NO copy I have ever seen (including that one) has the "slur" printed in the lyrics. Bernie Taupin didn't write the "slur", and Elton John didn't sing it, either. I've NEVER heard him do this song live, and he probably never has, because he's at least something of a gentleman. He IS knighted after all. Those facts stated however, I have heard OTHER people do this song live (none of whom sang the "slur" either) but I'm certain there are crass idiots out there who indeed, have.
And at least in my copy of the song, I'm pretty sure it says "negro blues", not the slur.
@evil_laugher Elton never said the slur.
@evil_laugher Elton never said the slur.
The people of Texas sing a “Love Song” for the god damn long haired hippies
Lyrics that came with the record said "nigger" and that's how he says it live so that's whgat I went with.
The song meaning couldn't be more obvious: These are the rantings of some famous bigot across the Pond in England, who imagined he knew something about Texans. That this kind of bigotry is still celebrated is disappointing, but not surprising. But it's okay, rednecks can take it. Besides, they have guns.
@Curmudgeon999 You may be confusing a bigoted ranting with an artistic commentary on an Englishman's fascination with Americana and some of its dark ironies. I doubt if he meant any harm. Taupin strikes me as a young(at the time) British song writer who was mystified by the USA and tapped it as a useful muse in his work. Another song that falls into this category is The Ballad of Dan Bailey from Yellow Brick Road.
@Curmudgeon999 You may be confusing a bigoted ranting with an artistic commentary on an Englishman's fascination with Americana and some of its dark ironies. I doubt if he meant any harm. Taupin strikes me as a young(at the time) British song writer who was mystified by the USA and tapped it as a useful muse in his work. Another song that falls into this category is The Ballad of Dan Bailey from Yellow Brick Road.