Tell Me When The Whistle Blows

[BiteUrLip]

Music: Elton John

Lyrics: Bernie Taupin

Electric piano and clavient: Elton John

Electric guitar: Davey Johnstone

Bass: Dee Murray

Drums: Nigel Olsson

Tambourine and congas: Ray Cooper

Orchestral arrangement: Gene Page

There's a dusty old gutter he's lying in now

He's blind and he's old

And there's a bottle that rolls down the road

Me I'm young and I'm so wild

And I still feel the need

Of your apron strings once in a while

For there's taxi cabs hooting

But I can't be foot-loose forever

My suitcase it's a cheap one

My darling she's a dear one

My head's feeling light as a feather


Take my ears and tell me when the whistle blows

Wake me up and tell me when the whistle blows

Long lost and lonely boy

you're just a black sheep going home

I want to feel your wheels of steel

Underneath my itching heels

Take my money

Tell me when the whistle blows


Part of me asked the young man for the time

With a cool vacant stare of undue concern

He said nine

It's not so bad but I really do love the land

And rather all this than those diamante lovers

In Hyde Park holding hands

Blowing heat through my fingers

Trying to kill off this cold

Will the street kids remember

Can I still shoot a fast cue

Has this country kid still got his soul

[BiteUrLip]

This is probably my least favorite from CF. The song is an interesting one, it's funky in certain ways and on the other hand there is the orchestra (violins). It's just not my type of song.

4 stars.

[dougs]

"Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" from CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY:

This is a superbly crafted album track from Elton & Bernie's autobiographical CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY.  Great vocal from Elton while Bernie recollects the first meetings between the two of them - Bernie from "the sticks" and Elton from the big city.  Bernie said about the song..."I was still fresh from the sticks, and I still had tremendous ties to my friends back home...That's the song."  Incredibly, Elton and the band did "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" in just one take!  Gene Page provides the strings and orchestral arrangement - as he did with "Philadelphia Freedom" in the same recording sessions.  Elton's band (Nigel, Dee, Davey, and Ray) along with producer Gus Dudgeon created a unique song in EJ's repertoire.  Production-wise, literally every instrument can be heard.  Elton's clavinet is heard clearly on the new 180 gram vinyl pressing of the album.  Love Nigel's drumming (described as an R & B shuffle) and Davey's guitar in the outro supported by Gene Page.  Stunning.

Elton played this live in 1975 and 1976 and used a gospel choir in certain concerts.  "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" re-appeared in 2004 and then in 2005 for the 30th anniversary concerts for CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY.

Rating: 5 to 5 1/2 stars

Doug

[Commodore Orpington]

This and Meal Ticket are my CF favorites... incredible, followed by CF the song.

[nix]

3
pretty much uninteresting song mostly relying on funky strings... one of the weakest from CF album. Elton's vocal is also pretty much lame on this one. 

[newloneranger]

It does remind me of Philadelphia Freedom. Probably recorded around the same time. One of my favorites on this album.

5 stars

[Commodore Orpington]

Same orchestrator, Gene Page.

[rocketman]

4 stars...quite good and a song about Bernie, who gets a solo turn here in terms of the album's subject matter. I like the live rendition from Wembley Stadium, included on the 30th Anniversary CD Remaster even better, as the song's pace was increased and some funk was added to the beat. But this studio standard with certainly worthy of this otherwise fine album.