"The Bitch Is Back" is a rock song by Elton John, written with his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. It was the second single released from his 1974 album Caribou, and reached number 1 in Canada, number 4 in the United States and number 15 in the United Kingdom. With lyrics parodying John's celebrity lifestyle, the song has been identified as one of his best hard rock cuts. In the U.S., it was certified Gold on 13 September 1995 by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Background
The idea to create the song was inspired not by John or Taupin directly, but rather by Bernie Taupin's wife at the time, Maxine Feibelman, who would say, "The bitch is back," when John was in a bad mood. Taupin then wrote the lyrics. Later, Elton would comment: "It is kind of my theme song." Musically, the song originally was written in A-flat major, but is today performed live a half step lower in the key of G major. The saxophone solo in the middle is nowadays usually performed by synthesizers, while a guitar solo occasionally substitutes, as can be seen in the concert video Live in Australia.
Controversy
Several radio stations in the United States and elsewhere refused to play the song because of the word "bitch". For example, in 1976, the program director of WPIX-FM in New York told Billboard, "We will play records that are borderline suggestive records such as 'Disco Lady' by Johnnie Taylor|Johnny Taylor but we will not play 'The Bitch Is Back' by Elton John. We won't play those types of records no matter how popular they get." Elton responded to the controversy, quipping "...some radio stations in America are more puritanical than others."
Versions
Producer Gus Dudgeon added a live version of it, recorded on Thanksgiving night 1974 at Madison Square Garden, at the close of the There disc on the reissued two-CD version of Here and There. John Lennon is featured on tambourine. It is a concert staple for John, who loves to play the song live to this day, often as his opening number. A mixed media presentation of it, with a video cameo from Pamela Anderson, was created for part of John's very successful Red Piano show in Las Vegas.
Covers
The song was twice recorded by Tina Turner, once for her Rough album in 1978, and again for the John/Taupin tribute albumTwo Rooms in 1991. Turner also performed the song in her live show in the late 1970s, and with John at the 1995 VH1 Fashion and Music Awards 1995 and VH1 Divas Live '99. For her rendition Turner earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Performance. Dusty Springfield is one of the backing vocalists on the studio version of the song. Bitch covered "The Bitch is Back" on their album, The Bitch is Back, released in 1987 on Metal Blade Records. Lita Ford covered "The Bitch is Back" on her albums, Living Like a Runaway and the live album, The Bitch Is Back... Live. Ford named the live album after his song. Rihanna covered the song with Elton at the third annual Fashion Rocks Concert in 2006. Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil covered the song on his 2010 album Tattoos & Tequila. On the television show Glee, a mash-up of The Bitch is Back and Dress You Up was performed by characters Ryder Lynn and Unique Adams in season 4, episode 16, which aired on March 11, 2013. Miley Cyrus covered the song in a country music style for the 2018 tribute album . Taron Egerton covered the song for the Elton John biopic Rocketman.
