While Taupin was still a boy, his father decided to try his hand at independent farming, and the family relocated again, this time to a run-down property called Maltkiln Farm in the north-Lincolnshire village of Owmby-by-Spital. Here a third brother, Kit, was born 11 years junior to Bernie. The family attended Holy Rood Catholic Church in the town of Market Rasen, where Bernie and Tony served as altar boys. Bernie attended school at Market Rasen Secondary Modern. Unlike his older brother, he was not a diligent student, although he showed an early flair for writing. At 15 he dropped out of school. He spent his teenage years hanging out with his friends, hitchhiking the country roads to attend youth club dances in the surrounding villages, playing snooker in the Aston Arms Pub in Market Rasen, and drinking ale well before his eighteenth birthday. He had worked at several part-time, dead-end jobs when, at the age of 17, he answered an advertisement that led to his collaboration with Elton John.
In 1967, he answered an advertisement for a lyric writer placed in the New Musical Express by Liberty records A&R man Ray Williams. Thus began the famous and well-loved songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The pair have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date, though John worked with other lyricists between 1977 and 1983. Taupin's lyrics include such memorable tunes as "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer", "Candle in the Wind", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and 1970's "Your Song", their first hit.
In 1971, Taupin recorded a spoken-word album entitled Taupin, in which he recites some of his early poems against a background of impromptu, sitar-heavy music created by some members of Elton's band, including Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye. Side One is entitled "Child" and contains poems about his early childhood in southern Lincolnshire. The first poem, "The Greatest Discovery," which looks at his own birth through the eyes of his older brother, was also set to music by Elton John and included on the Elton John (album). There are poems about Taupin's first two childhood homes, Flatters and Rowston Manor, and others about his relationship with his brother and grandfather. Side Two includes a variety of poems of varying obscurity, from a marionette telling her own story to a rat catcher who falls victim to his prey. While the lyrics to Side One provide interesting insights into Taupin's childhood, the album makes for a tedious listening experience, and Taupin stated in interviews that he wasn't pleased with the results.
In 1980, Taupin recorded his first album as a singer, He Who Rides the Tiger. Although he demonstrated a more-than-adequate vocal ability, the album failed to make a dent in the charts. Taupin later suggested in interviews that he didn't have the creative control he would have liked over the album.
In 1987, he recorded another album entitled Tribe. The songs were co-written with Martin Page. "Citizen Jane" and "Friend of the Flag" were released as singles. Videos of both singles featured Taupin and then-wife Toni Russo, and the "Citizen Jane" video also included Toni's sister, actress Rene Russo. Once again, neither the album nor the singles made much of a dent in the charts.
In 1996, Taupin pulled together a band called Farm Dogs, whose two albums were conscious (and successful) throwbacks to the grittier, earthier sound of Tumbleweed Connection. While Taupin wrote the lyrics, the music was a collaborative effort among the band members. Their first album, 1996's Last Stand in Open Country, received critical praise but little airplay. As mentioned above, the title track was later recorded by Willie Nelson and Kid Rock for Nelson's 2002 album The Great Divide.
In 1998, Farm Dogs released its second and final album, Immigrant Sons. Again a respectable effort, the album went nowhere despite a tour of small clubs across America.
Valley Nights
Bernie Taupin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As they burn down the quarter mile
And those lean brown boys in their sleeveless shirts
Curse the heat when it cramps their style
Only the Chicano in his body shop
Say, "In cherry red, she looks so fine"
While his brothers burn the chops of the Catholic kids
Cheerio, my baby say, don't you know me
The rich kid in the Karmann Ghia
Well, I bought these wheels just to make you feel
That I'm a street kid not a racketeer
Should we grab a bite where the greasers eat?
Watch them choppers cruise up the strand
Or should we park where it's dark
And tune the AM into the sounds of the old Wolfman?
When she's spent your candle, she learned your handle
She says, honey, let me see you shift
So your floor it into fifth down to the liquor store
Where a fake, I'd can score a fifth
Sonny Matao say to Susie Elaina
Maybe we could steal your sister's car
And grab ourselves a six pack and head on down
To the drive in at Canoga Park
When the surfers hit Topanga once they quit the waves
And they roll back into Woodland Hills
Where the bleached blond girls in their faded jeans
Bring 'em burgers from the bar-n-grill
When they've stashed their boards and climbed up on
Them wagons just to eat up the night
It's a crackerjack box with no surprise
When your lady's sinking Judes and whites
I've had a hell of a week, up on over the hill
And now there's a valley between
But if you won't see me Friday, I might as well
Throw a monkey wrench in my machine
'Cause I saddle, soaped the buckets, shined the chrome
Polished up the panel lights
Until you can check your makeup in the fuel gouge
And I can dazzle you
Valley Nights is a song by Bernie Taupin that explores the youth culture of late 60s and early 70s suburban Los Angeles. The song paints a picture of the valley strip that ran from West Covina to the county line, where cars were king and cruising culture dominated. The song captures the essence of youth rebellion and the search for identity that defined the era. In the opening stanza, Taupin describes the cars burning rubber on the quarter mile and the young Chicano men admiring them in their body shops. He contrasts this with the Catholic kids from West Covina who are targets of the chop burning. The song shifts focus to the singer, his Karmann Ghia and his desire to impress his girlfriend while maintaining his street cred.
The song is steeped in the language and culture of the era, from the reference to the Wolfman's radio show to the iconic drive-in theater in Canoga Park. Taupin paints a vivid picture of the valley culture, the car obsession, and the influence of music and media on the youth of the time. The song's chorus "Cheerio, my baby say, don't you know me" captures the bluster and bravado of the era's youth culture, the desire to stand out, and the need to be recognized.
Line by Line Meaning
When the streets are steaming, the big slicks scream
The city streets are hot and noisy, filled with loud cars racing down the quarter mile.
As they burn down the quarter mile
The cars are racing at high speeds down the street, leaving a trail of smoke and burning rubber behind them.
And those lean brown boys in their sleeveless shirts
Young Hispanic men, dressed in tank tops, are out in the heat during the day.
Curse the heat when it cramps their style
They complain about the heat when it hinders their ability to look and act cool.
Only the Chicano in his body shop
The only person who appreciates these cars is a Hispanic man who owns a garage.
Say, "In cherry red, she looks so fine"
He comments on the beauty of a car painted in bright red.
While his brothers burn the chops of the Catholic kids
The other men in his community tease and bully the Catholic kids from a nearby area.
From West Corina to the county line
This teasing occurs across a large region from the West Covina area to the county boundary.
Cheerio, my baby say, don't you know me
A wealthy boy in a Volkswagen sports car greets his girlfriend, speaking in a sardonic tone.
The rich kid in the Karmann Ghia
The boy is driving a particularly sporty and expensive car model from Volkswagen.
Well, I bought these wheels just to make you feel
He purchased the car for his girlfriend to impress her.
That I'm a street kid not a racketeer
He wants to appear like a rough-and-tumble tough guy, rather than a criminal or conman.
Should we grab a bite where the greasers eat?
The couple debates whether to go eat at a diner favored by the local toughs and rebels.
Watch them choppers cruise up the strand
They could watch as motorcycles ride along the coast, near the beach.
Or should we park where it's dark
Alternatively, they could go to a secluded area where they won't be disturbed.
And tune the AM into the sounds of the old Wolfman?
They might listen to a popular radio program hosted by a famous DJ nicknamed the Wolfman.
When she's spent your candle, she learned your handle
After being intimate, she understands how to please you and how you enjoy being touched.
She says, honey, let me see you shift
She wants to see you change gear, as a simple pleasure.
So your floor it into fifth down to the liquor store
Quickly moving the gear stick to drive faster down to a nearby convenience store to buy some drinks.
Where a fake, I'd can score a fifth
They are hoping to find someone who can sell them some illicit alcohol, like a fake ID.
Sonny Matao say to Susie Elaina
Two people converse with each other by name.
Maybe we could steal your sister's car
One of them suggests a potentially sneaky and exciting activity - taking the sister's car without permission.
And grab ourselves a six pack and head on down
They plan to grab some beers and drive to a location to hang out.
To the drive in at Canoga Park
The specific destination they have in mind is a local drive-in movie theater located in Canoga Park.
When the surfers hit Topanga once they quit the waves
Later in the evening, surfers will leave the ocean and drive back to a nearby area.
And they roll back into Woodland Hills
They will drive back into a specific part of Los Angeles called Woodland Hills.
Where the bleached blond girls in their faded jeans
These girls are wearing light-colored jeans that have begun to wear and fade due to much use.
Bring 'em burgers from the bar-n-grill
Blond young women bring food over from a local bar and grill restaurant.
When they've stashed their boards and climbed up on
After parking their surfboards somewhere, they likely spend time chatting and relaxing.
Them wagons just to eat up the night
They're hanging out in their cars in order to pass the time, possibly because they have nowhere else to go.
It's a crackerjack box with no surprise
There's nothing much going on, making the evening seem like a letdown or anticlimactic.
When your lady's sinking Judes and whites
When your girlfriend is drinking gin mixed with vermouth.
I've had a hell of a week, up on over the hill
The artist has recently experienced a tough and stressful period of their life.
And now there's a valley between
They feel like there is a physical and emotional distance between themselves and others.
But if you won't see me Friday, I might as well
If their partner isn’t planning to get together with them, the singer feels they might as well give up on the weekend completely.
Throw a monkey wrench in my machine
They feel like everything is disrupted and that things won't go the way they hoped.
'Cause I saddle, soaped the buckets, shined the chrome
They took great care in cleaning their car, spending hours polishing it to be as shiny as possible.
Polished up the panel lights
Not just the exterior of the car, but also the interior lights, which help brighten the dashboard at night.
Until you can check your makeup in the fuel gouge
The car's interior is so clean that you can use it as a makeshift mirror to check your appearance.
And I can dazzle you
The artist wants to use their car's beauty to impress their girlfriend.
Contributed by Gabriel R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.