Oliver's Army

[magicmoments]

The Elvis Costello track that everyone knows. The only one that I knew well until a few weeks ago when I put on "Elvis Costello - The First Ten Years" when doing my stint on the tills in the Oxfam Book and Music Shop. Loved it, and since then I've got his autobiography, "Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink". Part of the title comes from some lyrics on "All the Rage":-

Alone with your tweezers and your handkerchief
You murder time and truth, love, laughter and belief
So don’t try to touch my heart
It’s darker than you think
And don’t try to read my mind
Because it’s full of disappearing ink

Elvis Costello takes no prisoners, either in his lyrics or his book. A good read.

Anyway, here is "Oliver's Army", very punchy. Oliver from the English Civil War's Oliver Cromwell, who caused much trouble in Ireland and instituted the first professional army, which still remains with us. "Join the Army and learn a Trade" - just don't mention the bullets or sticking bayonets in foreigners.

"Don't start me talking...... "

 

[Nai Noswad]

"just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear"
... Absolutely magic moments - a very lyrically misunderstood song. Of course the woke brigade wetting their panties over one word doesn't help. Even though I haven't read any printed literature in the form of a book for many years, I'll suss this one out. Saw Elvis a couple of times live and on the Stiff Train Tour.
Check out the R. Whites lemonade 1970s TV ad on YT (that his dad singing!)

 

[magicmoments]

Hi Nai, the versatility of his music comes across in his book. I never knew that he had/has so varied a career.

Another excerpt:-

"It was always good to be reminded that music didn’t begin in 1977 or 1965 or 1954. I saw no sense in living in the past, but less still in denying it had existed. There was too much to learn and too much to love."

Yes, He mentions the R Whites ad in the book!

PS Apparently Elvis no longer sings Oliver's Army in live performances because of the controversies over the "one word".

 

[Trax]

Armed Forces is one of my favorite albums of all time. Party Girl is a masterpiece. I saw Elvis and the Attractions on this album tour a long time ago in Austin Texas... but it was one of my favorite memories. Was a general admission show and I was right up against the stage looking up at Elvis as he played. So close that when he dropped his guitar pick I just reached and picked it up off the stage. Amazing band. Amazing show that night.

 

[magicmoments]

Armed Forces is one of my favorite albums of all time. Party Girl is a masterpiece. I saw Elvis and the Attractions on this album tour a long time ago in Austin Texas... but it was one of my favorite memories. Was a general admission show and I was right up against the stage looking up at Elvis as he played. So close that when he dropped his guitar pick I just reached and picked it up off the stage. Amazing band. Amazing show that night.

Hi Trax, I gave Party Girl a listen, it was new to me. Surprised it is not to be found on the 42 track "Best of" album. It makes me interested in exploring more albums of Elvis Costello.

His lyrics are great to read, virtually stream of consciousness stuff, strange associations, often very cutting, taking no prisoners - but sometimes seem very hard on himself!

The autobiography quotes lots of his lyrics, all inter- related to his life story. But it weaves about time wise, leaping from one time line to another and sometimes difficult to follow exactly how old he was at different points!

But good stuff. He is on in London next month, but alas my days of concerts are over, if they ever started.

 

[magicmoments]

I'm now reading a biography of Elvis Costello, "Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello". I'm still trying to understand exactly where the inner rage came from in his earlier years! Still, who can ever understand another?

Just to share, a few lines from "When Summer Comes":-

When seasons turn
Springtime colours will return
And as the first pale flowers of the lengthening hours
Seem to brighten the twilight and that melancholy cloak
Then a fresh perfume just seems to burst from each bloom
Until the green shoots through each day
As it arrives in every shade of hope
When summer comes
There will be a dream of peace
And a breath that I've held so long that I can barely release
Then perhaps I may even find a room somewhere
Just a place I can still speak to you

The words are by Elvis Costello, put to the music of Oscar Peterson, just one of the many collaborations that Elvis Costello had/has during his career.

 

[Trax]

Hi @magicmoments check out the lyrics to Beyond Belief from Elvis's Imperial Bedroom album. It's the first track. I think you'll get into them.

ps- @magicmoments - did you study literature in school? Though a poor student, I was an English major myself.