Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
Encyclopedia
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (sometimes written "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)") is a rock song performed by musician Elton John
and covered by W.A.S.P., Flotsam and Jetsam
, Nickelback
(with Kid Rock
and Dimebag Darrell
), Queen
and The Who
. The opening riff is frequently used by Tommy Emmanuel
as a rock breakout when playing his interpretation of Classical Gas
. The song is a playable track in the music video game
Rock Band 3
and Guitar Hero 5
. It is also the theme song for the trailers of the 2011 film Gnomeo and Juliet
.
and composed by John for his album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
and is written in the key of G Major alternating with C Major on the chorus. It is one of John's harder-rocking songs (similar to "Grow Some Funk of Your Own
" and "The Bitch Is Back
"), with a sound echoing bands such as The Who
and The Rolling Stones
(The Who later covered
it in 1991). The song is a complete departure from his past renown as a mellow singer/songwriter.
The song was one of the few John-Taupin songs that Elton said wasn't a "typical piano number." According to John's recollection in Elizabeth Rosenthal's His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, it may have been written on the piano at first, but the song ended up being recorded somewhat in reverse to the normal way he records, with the band putting their tracks down, and Elton overdubbing his piano afterward. (John's typical process at the time, and to a large extent before and since, was to either record the piano first or play along with the band. "Saturday Night ... " represented a departure from that process.) Elton called the song "hard to record."
The song was released in 1973 (see 1973 in music
) as the album's first single, and entered the Top Ten in the UK and the Top 20 in the U.S. Despite only being a modest success compared to his other hits, it remains one of his best-known songs.
The song was banned on many radio stations fearing that the title would incite violence.
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, in particular in the fights happening in his local pub, the Aston Arms
in Market Rasen
. This song was the only one recorded during Elton and the band's time in Jamaica, where they had initially planned to record the album, but was never used, due to the poor quality of the recording equipment. John described the sound of the Jamaican recording of "Saturday" as sounding like "it had been recorded on the worst transistor radio." This experience prompted the band to return to France to finish the album.
Apart from his contributions, in the Eagle Vision documentary, Classic Albums: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Taupin said the song also features what he called one of the great "strident" guitar riffs in rock and roll.
has covered it numerous times in their concerts. In 1988, it was covered on Flotsam and Jetsam
's album No Place for Disgrace
. In 1991, The Who
covered it for the album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
(a year later, both John and The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey
would perform at the tribute concert
for Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury
). In 2003 it was also performed by Nickelback
(featuring Kid Rock
and Dimebag Darrell
) and included in the soundtrack for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
as well as certain copies of The Long Road
and as the B-Side of their CD single, "Gotta Be Somebody". The song was also covered by Paul Burnley on the Album "Paul Burnley is the Real Public Enemy".
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. In the show's open
, the song is accompanied by a drumline
and cymbalists, while clips of the two teams playing the night's featured game are interspersed throughout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emoGwlqETVY
In film, the track appears under the main title sequence of the 1985 movie Fandango
, directed by Kevin Reynolds, starring Kevin Costner
, Suzy Amis
, Sam Robards
and Judd Nelson
, which was produced through Steven Spielberg
's Amblin Entertainment company and released by Warner Brothers. The song also plays during the opening of the 2010 UK film Cemetery Junction.
The song was also covered (both studio and live versions are available) by hardcore punk
/crossover
band Verbal Abuse.
In November 2003, the song was covered in France by the Star Academy 3
and reached #5 in France, #8 in Belgium (Wallonia) and #37 in Switzerland.
Louisiana State University
plays a mash-up version of the song beginning with Elton John's original and ending with Nickelback's rendition at the beginning of every home football game, with highlights from yesteryear played on the big screens in the in stadium during the Elton John portion and new highlights shown during the Nickelback part.
American Idol season 10 contestant James Durbin performed this song while in the second (due to the season's one save) top 11 competition round.
In 1996, Australian band New Waver
covered it on their cassette album Mr Loser-Boozer Goes to Town as track 10. It was then rereleased in an edited and remastered version on their best of album Neuters.
In the UK, the song entered the Music Week Top 50 the week of 7 July 1973, rose to #7, and stayed in the charts for 9 weeks.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and covered by W.A.S.P., Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
, Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
(with Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
and Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
), Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. The opening riff is frequently used by Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel
William Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
as a rock breakout when playing his interpretation of Classical Gas
Classical Gas
"Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by Mason Williams. Originally released in 1968 on the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, it has been re-recorded and re-released numerous times since by Williams...
. The song is a playable track in the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
and Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
. It is also the theme song for the trailers of the 2011 film Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
.
Background and writing
The song was written by Bernie TaupinBernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
and composed by John for his album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released in 1973, is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John. It has come to be regarded as Elton John's best and most popular album, and is his best selling studio album with worldwide sales of at least 15 million copies.Recorded at the Château...
and is written in the key of G Major alternating with C Major on the chorus. It is one of John's harder-rocking songs (similar to "Grow Some Funk of Your Own
Grow Some Funk of Your Own
"Grow Some Funk of Your Own" is the name of a song by Elton John. It was released as a single in 1976 and comes from his album Rock of the Westies. It shared its A-Side status with "I Feel Like a Bullet ". The song is considered to be one of John's heavier rock songs. The song went to #14 on the...
" and "The Bitch Is Back
The Bitch Is Back
"The Bitch Is Back" is a rock song by Elton John, written with Bernie Taupin. It was the second single released from his 1974 album Caribou, and reached number 1 in Canada , number 4 in the United States and number 15 in the United Kingdom. The song has been identified as is one of Elton John's...
"), with a sound echoing bands such as The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
(The Who later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
it in 1991). The song is a complete departure from his past renown as a mellow singer/songwriter.
The song was one of the few John-Taupin songs that Elton said wasn't a "typical piano number." According to John's recollection in Elizabeth Rosenthal's His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, it may have been written on the piano at first, but the song ended up being recorded somewhat in reverse to the normal way he records, with the band putting their tracks down, and Elton overdubbing his piano afterward. (John's typical process at the time, and to a large extent before and since, was to either record the piano first or play along with the band. "Saturday Night ... " represented a departure from that process.) Elton called the song "hard to record."
The song was released in 1973 (see 1973 in music
1973 in music
-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...
) as the album's first single, and entered the Top Ten in the UK and the Top 20 in the U.S. Despite only being a modest success compared to his other hits, it remains one of his best-known songs.
The song was banned on many radio stations fearing that the title would incite violence.
Composition and inspiration
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a lively throwback to early rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
with a glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
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, in particular in the fights happening in his local pub, the Aston Arms
in Market Rasen
Market Rasen
Market Rasen is a town and civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the River Rase northeast of Lincoln, east of Gainsborough and southwest of Grimsby. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 3,200....
. This song was the only one recorded during Elton and the band's time in Jamaica, where they had initially planned to record the album, but was never used, due to the poor quality of the recording equipment. John described the sound of the Jamaican recording of "Saturday" as sounding like "it had been recorded on the worst transistor radio." This experience prompted the band to return to France to finish the album.
Apart from his contributions, in the Eagle Vision documentary, Classic Albums: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Taupin said the song also features what he called one of the great "strident" guitar riffs in rock and roll.
Cover versions
The rock band QueenQueen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
has covered it numerous times in their concerts. In 1988, it was covered on Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
's album No Place for Disgrace
No Place for Disgrace
No Place for Disgrace is the second studio album by Flotsam and Jetsam. It was recorded between December 1987 and February 1988, and was released later in 1988. This is the band's major label debut on Elektra Records. It is the first Flotsam And Jetsam album to feature bassist Troy Gregory, who...
. In 1991, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
covered it for the album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a 1991 tribute album consisting of interpretations of sixteen songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The title refers to the song on Elton John's album 21 at 33, "Two Rooms at the End of the World", to the duo's unusual...
(a year later, both John and The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
would perform at the tribute concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
for Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
). In 2003 it was also performed by Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
(featuring Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
and Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
) and included in the soundtrack for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
as well as certain copies of The Long Road
The Long Road
The Long Road is the second major album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on September 23, 2003.The album was certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA in March 2005 and it had sold 3,591,000 copies as of April 2011. It has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and in 2003 only the album sold 2...
and as the B-Side of their CD single, "Gotta Be Somebody". The song was also covered by Paul Burnley on the Album "Paul Burnley is the Real Public Enemy".
It is also used by the U.S. cable network Showtime as introduction music for its Showtime Championship Boxing
Showtime Championship Boxing
Showtime Championship Boxing is a television boxing program airing on Showtime. Debuting in March 1986, it is broadcast live on the first Saturday of every month...
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
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
, as that series airs on Saturday nights. It is also used as the theme song for TBS's Saturday Night College Football. In the show's open
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
, the song is accompanied by a drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
and cymbalists, while clips of the two teams playing the night's featured game are interspersed throughout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emoGwlqETVY
In film, the track appears under the main title sequence of the 1985 movie Fandango
Fandango (1985 film)
Fandango is a 1985 American film directed by Kevin Reynolds.It was originally a 30-minute black and white student film titled "Proof" made by Reynolds while he was attending USC film school. It was a parody of Greek life at his alma mater Baylor University...
, directed by Kevin Reynolds, starring Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
, Suzy Amis
Suzy Amis
Susan Elizabeth "Suzy" Amis is an American former film actress and former model.-Career:Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Amis first worked as a Ford model before she began acting in the 1980s. She made her feature film debut in the 1985 comedy film Fandango, opposite Kevin Costner...
, Sam Robards
Sam Robards
Sam Prideaux Robards is an American actor.-Life and career:Robards was born in New York City, the son of actors Jason Robards and Lauren Bacall. He began his acting career in 1980 in an off-Broadway production of Album, and made his feature film debut in director Paul Mazursky's 1982 film Tempest....
and Judd Nelson
Judd Nelson
Judd Asher Nelson is an American actor. He is best known for being a member of the "Brat Pack" in the mid-1980s; and for his roles as John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Alec Newbary in St...
, which was produced through Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's Amblin Entertainment company and released by Warner Brothers. The song also plays during the opening of the 2010 UK film Cemetery Junction.
The song was also covered (both studio and live versions are available) by hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
/crossover
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
band Verbal Abuse.
In November 2003, the song was covered in France by the Star Academy 3
Star Academy France
Star Academy was a French reality television show produced by the Dutch company Endemol, based on the Spanish format called Operación Triunfo. It consists of a contest of young singers. It spawned an equally successful show in Quebec called Star Académie. It was broadcast on TF1...
and reached #5 in France, #8 in Belgium (Wallonia) and #37 in Switzerland.
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
plays a mash-up version of the song beginning with Elton John's original and ending with Nickelback's rendition at the beginning of every home football game, with highlights from yesteryear played on the big screens in the in stadium during the Elton John portion and new highlights shown during the Nickelback part.
American Idol season 10 contestant James Durbin performed this song while in the second (due to the season's one save) top 11 competition round.
In 1996, Australian band New Waver
New Waver
New Waver is an Australian satirical musical project, the brainchild of Greg Wadley. New Waver grew out of one of Wadley's prior projects, a zine named Loser, and shares the same pessimistic outlook, underwritten with Darwinism...
covered it on their cassette album Mr Loser-Boozer Goes to Town as track 10. It was then rereleased in an edited and remastered version on their best of album Neuters.
Chart performance
In the U.S., the song entered the Billboard Top 40 the week of 11 August 1973, rose to #12, and stayed in the Top 40 for nine weeks. It was the only single by Elton John that failed to make the Top 10 in the three-year, 13-hit period between May 1972 ("Rocket Man") and October 1975 ("Island Girl"). It was the only Elton John single that failed to go gold or platinum in the three-year, 11-hit period between December 1972 ("Crocodile Rock") and October 1975 ("Island Girl").In the UK, the song entered the Music Week Top 50 the week of 7 July 1973, rose to #7, and stayed in the charts for 9 weeks.
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |