One of Elton John’s most instantly recognizable as well as signature pieces, “Philadelphia Freedom” was initially released in early 1975 as a 7” single. Also noteworthy is the flipside which includes a live version of “I Saw Her Standing There” that features John Lennon during what would be his final concert performance. The first appearance of the track on an LP was not until the 1977 Elton John’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 compilation. The easily danceable proto-disco rhythm is a copious nod to the concurrently popular Philly Soul sound. This made it a hit not only on the pop, but also the R&B singles chart. One anomaly apparent to eagle-eyed enthusiasts is that the platter was first issued under the moniker of the Elton John Band, rather than the artist’s more common singular credit. Likewise, the subject matter was somewhat of a departure for John and lyricist Bernie Taupin in that they had rarely ever composed music for a specific purpose -- in homage to tennis star Billie Jean King and her team, the Philadelphia Freedoms. It was also in response to John’s (who is an avid tennis player) surprise gift of a tailor-made tennis outfit which was presented to the musician by King during a tourney attended by both. Although the song was recorded around the time of the autobiographical Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboys album, it is notable for its use of a powerful horn section as well as a sprightly string arrangement -- similar to the approach taken on the LP track “Tell Me When The Whistle Blows”. Philly natives MSFB and the blue-eyed soul duo Hall And Oates have both covered “Philadelphia Freedom” with great results. A decidedly funkier reading from Ike and Tina Turner was issued on the mostly forgettable Home Grown Funk (1980) compilation.
- Elton John Philadelphia Freedom Live
- Philadelphia Freedom Music
- Elton John Song Philadelphia Freedom Genre
- Elton John Song Philadelphia Freedom Lyrics
Philadelphia freedom, I lo-o-ove ya, yes I do Post-Chorus Oh, Philadelphia freedom, shine on me I love ya Shine the light through the eyes of the ones left behind Shine the light, shine the light. “Philadelphia Freedom” was credited to the Elton John Band, the unit that was in the process of dissolving by the time the song hit #1. And for years, it was a stand-alone single, available on.
Appears On
| Year | Artist/Album | Label | Time | AllMusic Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Def Jam / Island / Rocket Group Pty LTD / Universal | 0:00 | ||
| 1975 | Def Jam / Island / Rocket Group Pty LTD / Universal / Universal Music | 5:25 | ||
| 1975 | Various Artists | Rhino | 5:41 | |
| 1975 | MCA | 0:00 | ||
| 1980 | K-Tel Distribution | |||
| 1983 | DJM Records | 0:00 | ||
| 1986 | Island / Def Jam / motownmoe.com / Polydor / Universal | 5:23 | ||
| 1990 | Time / Life Music | 5:29 | ||
| 1990 | Polygram / PolyGram | 5:42 | ||
| 1990 | MCA | 5:38 | ||
| 1994 | Various Artists | Phantom | ||
| 1995 | Rhino | 5:41 | ||
| 1996 | Various Artists | Connoisseur | ||
| 1998 | Polygram | 5:18 | ||
| 2000 | Various Artists | Trans World | 5:20 | |
| 2002 | Island / Universal | 5:22 | ||
| 2004 | WAB | |||
| 2005 | Family Recordings | 5:12 | ||
| 2007 | UMVD / Universal Distribution | 4:59 | ||
| 2007 | Island / Mercury | 5:21 | ||
| 2007 | Universal Distribution | 5:21 | ||
| 2009 | Gold Classic Hits Radio / Universal Music | 5:00 | ||
| 2017 | Island / Mercury / Universal | 5:30 | ||
| Rock | ||||
Karaoke | Sybersound Records | 5:22 |
Elton John Philadelphia Freedom Live
If a cause was right
I'd leave to find the answer on the road
I used to be a heart beating for someone
But the times have changed
The less I say the more my work gets done
'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man, yeah
Gave me a piece of mama, daddy never had
Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love-ve-ve you, yes I do
If you choose to you can live your life alone
Some people choose the city (some people the city)
Some others choose the good old family home (some others choose a good old)
I like living easy without family ties (living easy)
Till the whippoorwill of freedom zapped me
Right between the eyes
'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man
Mm, gave me a piece of mama, daddy never had
Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love-ve-ve you, yes I do
Oh, Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love-ve-ve,
You know I love-ve-ve , you know I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
You know that I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Don't you know that I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Don't you know that I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Lyrics submitted by Novartza, edited by FanOfToddR., HLachman
Philadelphia Freedom Music
'Philadelphia Freedom' as written by Elton John Bernie Taupin
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Elton John Song Philadelphia Freedom Genre
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Elton John Song Philadelphia Freedom Lyrics
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