Elliott Murphy was born in Rockville Centre, New York,[1] grew up in Garden City, Long Island and began playing the guitar at age twelve.

Special guests on Murphy's albums have included Bruce Springsteen, Mick Taylor, Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Sonny Landreth, David Johansen, The Violent Femmes, Cindy Bullens and Shawn Colvin.

The album also has a collaboration with the Violent Femmes: all three original members Gordon Gano, Victor DeLorenzo, Brian Ritchie appear on the track "King of the Serpentine".

[7] All Music Guide has rated over fifteen of his albums with 4 stars or more[8] In addition to his music and song lyrics Murphy has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, Mucchio Selvaggio, Jam and various European magazines and has published Cold & Electric, a semi-autobiographical novel, in French, German and Spanish editions, as well as two short story collections (The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Where the Women Are Naked and the Men Are Rich) and in 2003 Café Notes (Hachette, France).

[11] In 2018 he was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame by Billy Joel[12] A biography of Elliott Murphy, "Hardcore", written by Charles Pitter, was published in 2013.