Elvis Songs: Clean Up Your Own Backyard

Written by: Billy Strange, Mac Davis

Recorded: October 23, 1968, United Artists Recorders, Hollywood
Released master is take 6.

Single:w/ "The Fair Is Moving On", 47-9747, June, 1969
Also re-released as Gold Standard Series, 447-0672, December 1970

RIAA Certified: Gold (as of 03/27/1992)

Highest U.S. Charts Positions:
#35 on Billboard's Hot 100
#37 on the Easy Listening chart
#74 on the Country chart

1st LP release: Almost In Love - November 1970

I remember seeing The Trouble With Girls on late-night TV when I was a teenager and I thought the scene with "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard" was pretty cool. Considering what I've seen since of Elvis' movie musical scenes, I can't say I've changed my mind! :) Usually the songs are ruined by the movie scene. This one's not bad.

I'll get around to writing the rest of my spin soon. Browse the other stuff below in the meantime.

"Clean Up Your Own Back Yard" is a good number, with a gentle but solid beat, and receives a superb performance from Presley. Every inflection can be heard and savoured, and the overdubbing of brass and female vocals enhances the gospel feel of the song.

Robert Matthew-Walker, Elvis Presley - A Study In Music, 1979

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Back porch preacher preaching at me
Acting like he wrote the golden rule
Shaking his fist and speeching at me
Shouting from his soap box like a fool
Come Sunday morning he's lying in bed
With his eyes all red, with the wine in his head
Wishing he was dead when he oughta be
Heading for Sunday school

Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine

Drugstore cowboy criticizing
Acting like he's better than you and me
Standing on the sidewalk supervising
Telling everybody how they ought to be
Come closing time 'most every night
He locks up tight and out go the lights
And he ducks out of sight and he cheats on his wife
With his employee

Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine

Armchair quarterback's always moanin'
Second guessing people all day long
Pushing, pulling and hanging on in
Always messing where they don't belong
When you get right down to the nitty-gritty
Isn't it a pity that in this big city
Not a one a little bitty man'll admit
He could have been a little bit wrong

Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me, don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine

Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine