Captain Fantastic, raised and regimented, hardly a hero
Just someone his mother might know
Very clearly a case for Corn Flakes and classics
"Two teas both with sugar please"
In the back of an alley

While little dirt cowboys turned brown in their saddles
Sweet chocolate biscuits and red rosy apples in summer
For it's hay make and "Hey mom, do the papers say anything good
Are there chances in life for little dirt cowboys
Should I make my way out of my home in the woods"

Brown Dirt Cowboy, still green and growing
City slick Captain
Fantastic the feedback
The honey, the hive could be holding
For there's weak winged young sparrows that starve in the winter
Broken young children on the wheels of the winners
And the sixty-eight summer festival wallflowers are thinning

For cheap easy meals, hardly a home on the range
Too hot for the band with a desperate desire for change
We've thrown in the towel too many times
Out for the count and when we're down
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
From the end of the world to your town

And all this talk of Jesus coming back to see us
Mmm mmm couldn't fool us
For we were spinning out our lines walking on the wire
Hand in hand went music and the rhyme
The Captain and the Kid stepping in the ring
From here on sonny sonny sonny, it's a long and lonely climb

For cheap easy meals, hardly a home on the range
Too hot for the band with a desperate desire for change
We've thrown in the towel too many times
Out for the count and when we're down
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
From the end of the world to your town

We've thrown in the towel too many times
Out for the count and when we're down
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
From the end of the world to your town


Lyrics submitted by Rick3540, edited by ginobarrac

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy Lyrics as written by Elton John Bernie Taupin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    My Opinion

    I love this song. To me, it's about simple individuals making it big and being successful in life.

    Can a moderator please remove the two churlish comments at the bottom?

    RedEchidnaon April 27, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction

    Get real chaps...its not a gay song (Taupin lyrics), its a straight forward autobiographical account of their writing partnership. e.g. 'Too hot for the band...' when Elton left Bluesology. 'Hand in hand went music and the rhyme...'. It's hardly Rocket Man science is it??

    Jonnyspeckyon June 01, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Opinion

    "And all this talk of Jesus coming back to see us Mmm mmm couldn't fool us For we were spinning out our lines walking on the wire..."

    Need I say more?

    univibeon December 17, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    If bernie is not gay one has to assume he an exceptionally bright, sensitive pseudo poet who knows EJ better than most..so..this is bernie writing a gay anthem for EJ.....the lyrics-many of which do not have some deep deep meaning but some that reflect EJ's coping with who he is, what he is, how he is perceived, his dualing but compensating personas(EJ is CF and the BDC) that he has to do what he needs to do be this rock star...he dresses up like that for some good reasons....remember his ride to stardom took place a long time ago when gay was not the seeming non event it is today...great song I'm glad I cant easily understand some of the lyrics

    jagge5on February 20, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I assume Captain Fantastic is Elton John. Is the Brown Dirt Cowboy Elton as well? Or someone else? Start of this song alludes to Elton, growing up, fast ready to leave home. Then starting to appear in concert in various towns. The Kid? Who is meant by that? Bernie Taupin? Anyway one of the best songs Elton John recorded.

    Icon6386on November 29, 2019   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    you guys are fucking assholes (literally) this song is a fucking classic and Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics and he's not gay. assholes.

    kyuss67on January 13, 2011   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    I have to admit, when I first heard this song, I thought it was the "Hershey Highway" thing. It was right after I found out EJ was gay. But I then remembered Bernie Taupin (who isn't gay) wrote all of his lyrics.

    I don't understand why people get so mad or offended or whatever,(and even want to censor) when others make childish comments. Who cares?

    Anyway, an excellent song.

    IMO, this was his last album that was really good, even though it wasn't as good as his previous hit albums, Madman, Honkey, Yellow Brick Road, etc. I think he kinda went downhill after CF&TBDC. Maybe my tastes just changed. I did buy Rock of the Westies, which was the one that followed Captain, but that was the last one of EJ's albums I purchased.

    Gregavion May 28, 2011   Link
  • -6
    General Comment

    A brown dirt cowboy is apparently one who takes dicks up the old Hershey Highway...

    olegnadon January 01, 2009   Link

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