Lyrics by Timothy Price. Music by Elton John. The lyrics are at the bottom of the post.
An Old Man’s Blues is my rewrite of Elton John’s Screw You (Young Man’s Blues), which was on the flip side of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road single (45rpm) released in 1973. I bought the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road single in 1974 before I could afford to buy the album. I ended up playing the B-side more than the A-side because I identified with Screw You (Young Man’s Blues) when I was a sophomore in high school. I was a misfit weirdo, and I was teased a lot. One of the many reasons I dropped out of high school when I was 16.
I was working on a cover of Screw You (Young Man’s Blues) when I decided I needed to update the lyrics from 1970s England to 2024 New Mexico. Plus, the way I rewrote the bridge addresses some of the recent strange encounters in the blogosphere.
One of the images I did for the song art for An Old Man’s Blues.
More bloomin’ blooms
An Old Man’s Blues
Lyrics by Timothy Price
Music by Elton John
Now that I’m old, I don’t have much fun
I can’t see or hear or talk to anyone
My back’s a pain. There is so much strife
I’m gotta clean the kitty litter, oh what a life
I say screw you
I ain’t got nothing to choose
I live on my laptop
Cause there’s nothing else I can do
Screw you, I ain’t got nothin’ to choose
I’m livin’ on my laptop cause there’s nothin’ else I can do
I was workin’ downtown when I got in a fight
I was beaten in an alley out in broad daylight
The cops could care less; they were downright scary
Sayin’ “Make my day!” Just like Dirty Harry
They said, “Screw you!”
Oh, you stupid old fool
You work downtown
You get beaten by a Tool
Screw you! Oh, you stupid old fool
You work downtown
You get beaten by a Tool
See, there’s femmes who get laid for being slaves
Femmes who get paid for being laid
There’s femmes behind screen names who prey with delight
Those femmes they are liars; they are as dark as the night
They lie, scratch, and whine, trying to make a dime
And all of them say, “Get out my way! Screw you!”
I’ve stared at a screen from seven ’til nine
The wear on my eyes nearly drove me blind
Tryin’ to make riches with nothing to share
Gettin’ hell from my staff, but I didn’t care
They said, “Screw you!”
That’s all we’re gonna do
We’re not existing for someone like you
Screw you! This is all we’re gonna do
We’re not existing for someone like you
Screw you! Screw you!
(Screw you, screw you, screw you, screw you, screw you, screw you, screw you, screw you)
Off Center & Not Even 
Good job, Tim! I don’t think I ever heard that Elton John song. I only had the AM radio back in those days, and YBR got played a lot. That one and Rocket Man.
That is an interesting image with the paper wasp nest, and the spring flowers are looking beautiful.
Thanks, Lavinia. I don’t think Young Man’s Blues ever showed up anywhere but the
b-side of GBYBR. It’s pretty obscure. I was looking for the U-bolt when I found the old wasp nest.
Cool photo of the wasps nest and a cool song. Interesting idea, to put it together with the flowers, so one can look for the matching abstraction if there was one for the imagination.
Thanks, Heidi. I’m happy you liked the song a that you could make a matching game out of the photos. Cool!
Well, this might be an old man blues’ but it makes me feel young again. Great cover and hilarious lyrics. I wonder if it’s coincidence that this song makes me think about someone I used to know…
Great post, Tim!
No coincident. There was a person we thought we knew. Thanks, Herman.
Gosh Elton John, me and my pals went to see him during the Rocket Man tour. RM had just been released. He played the local concert hall. he wasn’t anything like he became at that point, but brill. The place was a poor turn out and we managed to get his autograph. He’s written some brill things.
That’s cool you got to see him early on. I had all of his albums through the 70s. I lost track of his later work. Thanks, Shey.
It was cool actually. I mean nowadays someone like him would not play the Caird Hall but this was before big events took over everything and frankly wrecked decent concerts. Saw Tom Paxton there too. You know while we were queing outside, two guys came past, really ordinary , they came up from the grotty enlcosed steps that led from a side street, walked right past the line, one was carrying a guitar. He then sailed out and entertained the hall, cos yeah it was Paxton. The Cairdie was that kind of a place. Still some of the homlier bands play it, like the Proclaimers and Deacon Blue. Elton John had bid farewell to performing . One of his farewells was at Glastonbury last year. My lord, I wasn’t going to watch it on tv. I just sat down to speak to the mr for amom and Elton came on. He was epic. He stole the evening. His band was the same band from all the years ago. Amazing. Knew how to have the entire crowd in his hand.
In the mid 80s, there was a guitar series at one of our historic theaters downtown. I got tickets for the series and one performances was Don McLean of American Pie fame. The theater is small, the theater was maybe a third full, so McLean asked everyone to move to seats closer to the stage, and he gave one of the best performances I have ever experienced. His musicianship and stage presence was amazing and he made everyone feel welcome and part of the show. We experienced a few flamenco performances like that in Spain, also.
Well, not a cop but you made my day! Love the lyrics and it’s going to be playing in my ears for some time! Wasp nest and screws art is brilliant!
Thanks, Marina. Coming up with song art is always a challenge.
You… nailed it! 😉
Or screwed it!
I’ll insist on nails! 😉
I rarely use nails these day.
🤣
I’m all screwed up!
This is a very poignant song, Timothy. Getting old is hard.
True. Thanks, Roberta.
I think we all need a “Screw you” anthem at a certain paint. Or as Eric Cartman of South Park fame puts it: “Screw you guys; I’m going home. Screw you, home.”
For sure. Thanks, Liz.
You’re welcome, Tim.
this old man is a lyricist of note and on many levels I can related to the old man’s blues.
i love Elton John’s songs from back in the day. Norma Jean and Yellow Brick Road are amongst my favourites too.
I never listened to Screw You since I mainly got my music through the radio and it looks like it wasn’t a favourite.
the screws and the honey comb image for the cover, abstract as it is, still a very curious concept. Pretty flowers
I don’t think “Screw You” got any radio play back in that day. Probably never got radio play. Thanks, abvr.
Yes I don’t remember it being popular on radio. All the same, great work from Old man blue.
You are welcome Timothy
You did a fantastic job, Timothy!
Thanks, Dawn.
Rather than being screwed, I prefer to be a screwdriver, patiently going round in circles until the person is subtly put in their place.and everything fitsxstrongly together.
I use a drill for a screwdriver. It would be dizzying to spin that fast. Weeeeeee! Thanks, Geoff.
I loved the song and your art for it, you never cease to amaze me with your creativity Tim! 👏
Thanks, Tiffany.
Love your image for the song! I’ve never heard the original version. You, however, have nailed it 😉
Or screwed it. Thanks, Dale.
Hah!
It made me hum the lines 💕
Give it a try!
Thanks, Neetu.
I don’t know Screw You (Young Man’s Blues).
However, I sure like your parody. I identify.
So…screw the young man’s blues! xx
Hahaha! SY(YMB) was only on the flip side of the 45 until it was put on the 30th anniversary GBYBR as one of the bonus tracks. It’s still obscure. Thanks, Resa.
Cool! xo
I’ll have to come back and listen to the audio when we make it to our next destination (somewhere between SPI and Port Aransas as the moment) – connectivity is not liking the stream. The lyrics are awesome (as usual) – pairing scary with Harry is genius.
Thanks, Brian. I think you will like the music and might even remember the original once you’ve heard it.