By Randal C. Hill
A recording superstar + an iconic athlete = a million-selling song that made no sense. Huh?
At a 1973 party in California, best-selling singer Elton John met Billie Jean King, who at the time was busy becoming a feminist hero. Shortly after meeting John, King—arguably the best woman tennis player in the world—decimated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match at the Houston Astrodome. While Billie Jean destroyed Riggs in three straight sets, Elton John, who watched from a hotel room TV, screamed so loudly that he lost his voice.
Later, John told King that he wanted to write a song for her. King, who assumed he was kidding, thought, “I didn’t think I heard him right. I turned scarlet red.” But John assured her that he was on the up-and-up and could create a hit song with her in mind.
At the time, King was the player/coach for the [World Team Tennis] Philadelphia Freedoms. John suggested calling the tune “Philadelphia Freedom,” and thus was born the title of what would become Elton John’s next big winner.
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Along with his King-oriented creation came a rare moment in which John gave his lyric writer Bernie Taupin a most unusual song assignment: Elton wanted something called “Philadelphia Freedom,” and Taupin needed to come up with… well, something. Later, Bernie admitted that his words had nothing to do with tennis and, really, meant nothing in particular:
Oh, Philadelphia Freedom
Shine on me, I love ya
Shine a light through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine a light, shine the light
Shine the light, won’t you shine the light
Philadelphia Freedom, I love ya
Yes, I do
It was one of the few times that Elton decided that this 45 would be a stand-alone single and not an album track. (It would eventually show up on “Elton John’s Greatest Hits Volume II.”) The resulting piece of vinyl was a perfectly crafted pop single that resonates to this day.
