ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Legendary British songbird Elton John interrupted a London concert this morning local time to preface the next song by saying times have changed and Saturday nights are no longer OK for fighting.
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting was the first single from John’s 1973 juggernaut Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and is among one of the most successful pieces of music in his vast catalogue of hits.
However, the song has attracted criticism from anti-violence groups in recent years for glorifying street violence and excessive alcohol consumption.
Which prompted Elton to speak out.
“I just want to say before I sing this song that I don’t condone violence against anyone or anything. Saturday Nights are not OK for fighting. No night is OK for fighting. Not now, not ever,”
“When Bernie [Taupin] and I put this track together, it was a different time. When masculinity was celebrated. Gosh, I barely remember the early 70s as it is,”
“Alright! Enough chit-chat, let’s play some music!”
John has been both lauded and criticised for his humility in this situation.
Anti-violence and anti-alcohol groups have told The Advocate that they were happy that they won the argument and that the anti-PC brigade lost.
“I used to hate Elton John and his music but now he shares my correct opinions, I love him,” said Peter Cornwallace of the Diamantina Anti-Fistfight Council.
“He’s been very mature with his discussion. He outlined that he was wrong and that people like me were right. That toxic masculinity is more toxic than the uranium fallout still blowing in the Woomerah wind,”
“I’m happy.”
But some in our society who enjoy getting blackout drunk and fighting strangers on the nature strip outside our town’s many pubs and clubs have lashed out at Elton for being ‘too PC’.
Alistair Bog-White, who works in an office environment day-to-day where he frustratingly has little to no power over his destiny – which he bottles up until it comes out at 11pm in the beer garden of a local pub, said John is just trying to appease the ‘snowflakes that take offence to anything.’
“I liked Elton when he was more like the Elton that told Lily Allen that he’d snort her under the table. He means cocaine. Doing more cocaine than Lily Allen in a party environment would be quite hard for the best of us, let alone an ageing rock god,” he said.
“But now he’s gone soft in his old age. Disappointing!”
More to come.
