Some hits have the best stories behind them, especially those about a former lover or enemy. Elton John released "The B-tch Is Back" in 1974, and for years, there was the question of who was the b-tch? Was the inspiration coming from a playful place or with anger? Here is the backstory involving songwriter Bernie Taupin.
Elton John Inspired the Song Full of Cursing
Bernie Taupin, Maxine Feibelman, and Elton JohnMike Maloney/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
Caribou has the song as its second single. The lyrics don't hold back on using the curse word, which made it impossible to play on radio stations.
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"I'm a b-tch, I'm a b-tch, oh, the b-tch is back/Stone-cold sober, as a matter of fact/I can b-tch, I can b-tch 'cause I'm better than you/It's the way that I move, the things that I do, oh-oh-oh." Taupin revealed the inspiration behind the self-declarative song, according to His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John by Elizabeth Rosenthal.
"[Taupin] later revealed that his then wife Maxine [Feibelman] coined the song's recurring phrase in response to one of Elton's notoriously bad moods," she wrote. "'Oh God, the b-tch is back!' she exclaimed. The song, in essence, was born. All Bernie had to do was flesh it out."
The author believes it was a joke between the friends. John made it clear during some of his live performances that the title referred to him.
The song has reached beyond its initial hurdles with the radio. Glee featured it in an episode, mashing it up with "Dress You Up" by Madonna. Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson took the lead on John's lyrics. It was also featured in 2026's Off Campus, with Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) blowing off steam.
Related: 1973 Timeless Ballad Became the Longest-Running No. 1 Hit in Classic Rock History
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