All the Nasties

A plea for tolerance, directed towards critics both of a print-based and personal nature.

Apparently Bernie and Elton were feeling that they were receiving a lot of unsolicited advice about the direction their career should be going in, and were feeling somewhat embattled, as is borne out by verses like this:

But I know the way they want me
In the way they publicize
If they could turn their focus off
To the image in their eyes

I must admit, though, that I'm a little nonplussed as to how Taupin's summing statement about all this unwanted input turning a "full-blooded city boy into a full-blooded city man" is supposed to silence the detractors...

It's given a lush musical accompaniment, though; Buckmaster's enormous strings, the ever-present Madman Across the Water group choir, and of course Elton's piano are all that are used- but the song has a big sound, especially when the choir does its thing. Reminiscent of Elton John's "Border Song", it's got a strong melody, one which stays with the listener. Well, at least THIS listener.