Today's slow drag is with "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" from "My Aim is True," released in 1977. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=(The_Angels_Wanna_Wear_My)_Red_Shoes "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS8oaMFsBEk Got vs. Gotten https://ellii.com/blog/got-vs-gotten (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes lyrics: Oh, I used to be disgusted and now I try to be amused. But since their wings have got rusted, you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes. But when they told me 'bout their side of the bargain, that's when I knew that I could not refuse And I won't get any older, now the angels wanna wear my red shoes I was watching while you're dancing away Our love got fractured in the echo and sway How come everybody wants to be your friend? You know that it still hurts me just to say it Oh, I know that she's disgusted (oh why's that) Cause she's feeling so abused. (oh that's too bad) She gets tired of the lust, (oh I'm so sad) but it's so hard to refuse How can you say that I'm too old, when the angels have stolen my red shoes. Oh, I said "I'm so happy, I could die" She said "Drop dead," then left with another guy That's what you get if you go chasing after vengeance. Ever since you got me punctured this has been my sentence. Oh, I used to be disgusted and now I try to be amused. But since their wings have got rusted, you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes. Red shoes, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
Today's slow drag is with "We Are All Cowards Now" from "Hey Clockface," released in 2020. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "We Are All Cowards Now" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=We_Are_All_Cowards_Now "We Are All Cowards Now" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8r_F_4AjVE "We Are All Cowards Now" lyrics Time has taught us That they're sending out their sons To take away our guns and our daughters We are all cowards now Rivers rising Darkness fell upon People blotting out the sun Disguising how We are all cowards now At least the Emperor Nero had an ear for music But that's history Caligula said "God's speed, my steed" But that's his story They're coming for our Peacemakers Our Winchesters and Colts The rattle of our Gatling Guns Our best cowboy revolts and threats and insults We are all cowards now The emptiness of arms The openness of thighs The pornography of bullets The promises and prizes can't disguise We are all cowards now They're draping stones with colours And a roll of stolen names Except those we never cared about And those we need to blame We'll extinguish that flame, just the same We are all cowards now Arms are empty The pornography of plenty Count commands from one to ten Number sins from ten to twenty There's an illusion we believe in There is honour in their need Pretty confetti, chemical debt And a necessity to bleed My fears too fleet to scupper My prayers too thin to scream On my lover's back a zipper On her limb a straightened seam So, close the windows tightly Lower lamps and shades On the screen, silent rehearsals For tomorrow's parades For tomorrow's parades For tomorrow's parades We are all cowards now Additional lyrics from live performances: In a box of lies In a shimmering air There's a whispered curse There's a mumbled prayer No choice but to scan the sky up above At least pretend we can surrender to love At least pretend we can surrender to love Put up your hands Put up your hands Put up your hands Speak up for beauty Throw down your arms Undo your duty For the wounds of the past Some fool will say Pardon these crimes committed today We are all cowards now
Today's slow drag is with "Uncomplicated" from "Blood & Chocolate," released in 1986. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Uncomplicated" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Uncomplicated "Uncomplicated" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a91_uGPR9_o A bit more about prosody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DUCCSepMbs Heart Murmur: https://www.vulture.com/article/elvis-costello-profile.html Clever Hans: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Clever-Hans The difference between opposition and contradiction: https://jordantimes.com/opinion/ahmad-y-majdoubeh/opposition-vs-contradiction#:~:text=Opposition%20is%20both%20natural%20and,to%20countless%20damages%20and%20crises. Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y
Today's slow drag is with "Mr. & Mrs. Hush" from the Grammy award-winning "Look Now," released in 2018. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Mr. and Mrs. Hush" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Mr._%26_Mrs._Hush "Mr. and Mrs. Hush" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdHjigna3gI "Blindman's Bluff" https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095512112 The Sapir Whorf hypothesis https://www.simplypsychology.org/sapir-whorf-hypothesis.html Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y
Today's slow drag is with "TKO (Boxing Day)" from "Punch the Clock," released in 1983. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "TKO (Boxing Day)" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=TKO_(Boxing_Day) "TKO (Boxing Day)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5yoFjJSlwo Why is it called Boxing Day? https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46454700 The Origins of Boxing Day https://www.carnivalarts.org.uk/post/the-origins-of-boxing-day Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "TKO (Boxing Day)" Lyrics You can run all you like from the classroom or the cot From a great big man or tiny tot But from this day, every day will be Boxing Day Don't need your indecision, let there be no doubt Don't need your permission, I can count you out I can count you out TKO They put the numb into number, put the cut into cutie They put the slum into slumber and the boot into beauty But from this day, every day will be Boxing Day It's a fight to the finish, let there be no doubt As the seconds turn into minutes, I can count you out I can count you out TKO You need a back to break or a back to stab Now your birthday suit looks dull and drab Every day will be Boxing Day Now you don't look so glamorous Whenever I feel so amorous I can count you out TKO
Today's slow drag gives voice to an intrepid visual documentarian who puts the face to the name, splashes color in the corners of the nuance, and provides the proof that unicorns like our beloved entertainer truly do walk amongst us. It's more than joy to pour over Tony Sacchetti's evocative images of Mr. Costello in so many different settings. It's an honor to scatter flowers at his feet as he dances us through a glimpse into how he does what he does so well. Cover Art Credit: Anthony Sacchetti Follow Tony Sacchetti on Instagram @Anthony.sacchetti . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation
Today's slow drag is with "The Only Flame in Town," from "Goodbye Cruel World," released in 1984. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "The Only Flame in Town" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Only_Flame_In_Town "The Only Flame in Town" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugcURF7B_gw "The Only Flame in Town" Alternate version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geApcpKSk-4 Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "The Only Flam in Town" Lyrics I know a girl got my mind in a mess I never heard her say goodnight and God bless She's not the only flame in town And when we're alone, we never quarrel I'm miles away, now here's the moral She's not the only flame in town She's not the only flame in town She's got to stop thinking that I'm carrying this torch around He struck a match and it lit up her face We should have struck a match, girl To burn down the whole place Now you're not the only flame in town But you blew hot and cold Turned my heart to a cinder And with each passing day You're less tender and more tinder Now you're not the only flame in town She's not the only flame in town She's got to stop thinking that I'm carrying this torch around You're not the only flame You're not the only flame Thought I saw your face in the fire But it's so hard to remember Even an inferno can cool down to an ember Now you're not the only flame You're not the only flame You're not the only flame in town
Today's slow drag is with "Poisoned Rose," from "King of America," released in 1986. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Poisoned Rose" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Poisoned_Rose "Poisoned Rose" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5ycLSDu7jc "La Vie Bohéme" trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYYE_1Br-kE "A Drunken Man's Praise of Sobriety" Elvis Costello Wiki https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=A_Drunken_Man%27s_Praise_Of_Sobriety "A Drunken Man's Praise of Sobriety" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFf-iHQjLNI Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Poisoned Rose" Lyrics The poisoned rose That you gave to me It left me half alive And half in ecstasy But if half of your love Is all I can win Give me just a fraction But no more medicine The poisoned rose On a Valentine card That you take straight to the heart That you call my junkyard But if all I can do Is save pieces of you The piece of your mind The piece of your heart Didn't tear me apart Like the poisoned rose I received from you I don't know How we came to grow Into this very sad affair Every time we do the decent thing Somebody spikes the drink And a single becomes a pair The poisoned rose That you wear at your best That I keep pressed between the white sheets Where you lie half undressed I threw away my shirt and shoes You looked and I dived in It's just you and me now 'Cause I threw away the gin I threw away your alibis And all your worn-out clothes I threw myself upon the floor But I couldn't throw away This poisoned rose This poisoned rose This poisoned rose
Today's slow drag is with "Tear off Your Own Head," from "When I Was Cruel," released in 2002. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA,MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Tear off Your Own Head" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Tear_Off_Your_Own_Head_(It%27s_A_Doll_Revolution) "Tear off Your Own Head" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY6iBsjZQhQ "Tear off Your Own Head" The Bangles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwVvf_8oWFk "Shabby Doll" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgKhxZTYtq4 "Puppet Girl" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSmTP4sqGRA Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Tear off Your Own Head" Lyrics Who dries your eyes when you cry real tears? Who know or cares what an imitation is? Only you do You can paint his nails Make him wear high heels Why waste time altering the hemline? Or do you? Tear off your own head Tear off your own head It's a doll revolution You can bat your lashes You can cut your strings You can pull his hair with your moveable fingers It looks so real If one won't do it, so collect the set Dress him in pink ribbons Put him in a kitchenette How does this feel? Tear off your own head Tear off your own head It's a doll revolution What's that sound? It will turn you around It's a doll revolution They're taking over And they're tearing it down It's a doll revolution You can pull and pinch him 'Til he cries and squeals You can twist his body 'til it faces backwards Plastic features You could make somebody a pretty little wife But don't let anybody tell you how to live your life Broken pieces Tear off your own head Tear off your own head It's a doll revolution Tear off your own head Tear off your own head Revolution
— Dig it Ballyhoo, my friend. The passion project is back again with another lyrics only episode. My name is Remedy Robinson. And, for fun, let's listen to the brilliant alternate lyrics of "Stalin Malone," from Spike, released in 1989, off the 2001 Rhino re-issue of Spike. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name, the recitation is credited to Elvis Costello. "Stalin Malone" Lyrics I'm going to make you even fear the dream you dream Don't even think about it, don't make a wish You think that I don't see you as you trawl those young weak fish Hooked on those poor wonders, till they want you alone Though they can't tell a cuckoo-clock from the squeals of saxophones That's when they'll fear my name I'm telling you the day will come when this man gets what he merits Though people still wear animal skins to ward off evil spirits Only wife-swapping and witchcraft woke the dormitory town 'Til horse's heads up in the trees came dripping down Yes, horse's heads hung in the trees after the bird had flown Did you wonder of my whereabouts as the powder room was blown? Did anybody call my name? In a room called creation, where you all obey my laws Where Seconal is gravity and pain is like applause You think that this phenomenon is some coincidence I've got people everywhere, you're under my surveillance, in the pocket of my pants Okay, she left me, but I'll soon get over that Falling out of the "Blood Tub" and rolling on my back Waking up to the one o'clock gun with a Punch and Judy bird Reaching out for a gelignite beer that fills me up with murder To overhear forbidden songs her lover must have known Between the pity and advice... "There's no one here to help you now, but speak after the tone" Leave for me a message of hope Now the church door is a roller-shutter with padlocks and keys Just like all of the other dispensaries The saloon is like a casket, stained wood and human dust Stale with conversation that hangs on your clothes like smoke The wooden clock set time for her to dance dressed only in a flower As the jazz band drowned the hysterical bird that it spits out on the hour I drop out of sight and disappear, turn up in another town But somehow I can't seem to put it down now, put it down You probably wonder why I'm here, I don't trust myself alone But do I have to see her fall into his arms before I can atone? Get my jacket on, get my story straight I'm leaving on my own Again, this has been a slow drag lyrics only reading of "Stalin Malone" from 1989's Spike. What a joy to read such mastery. Thank you for listening. So, until next time, adieu my little ballyhoo Reference: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: Stalin Malone https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Stalin_Malone
Today's slow drag is with "Heathen Town," from "Out of Our Idiot," released in 1987. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Heathen Town" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Heathen_Town "Heathen Town" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udnz2s_k8js "The Fall of Rome" https://www.dictionary.com/browse/fall-of-rome#:~:text=The%20collapse%20of%20the%20Roman,%2C%20Romulus%20Augustulus%2C%20in%20476. "Old hat" idiom: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/old-hat#:~:text=old%20hat%20in%20American%20English,of%20being%20trite%20or%20commonplace John Howard Payne's, "Home Sweet Home," written in 1822 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqjjfF1Wn-s "Ave Maria" (Ellen's Third Song," composed in 1825 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqjjfF1Wn-s "Ave Maria" words: https://www.classicfm.com/composers/schubert/ave-maria-schubert-lyrics/ Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Heathen Town" Lyrics They used to call it Sin City Now it's gone way past that Painting the town and then burning it down Now even that's old hat Now there's a choir of angels at the fall of Rome Singing "Ave Maria" or "Home Sweet Home" It's just a heathen town I hear only evil as my tongue is tightened I used to be god-fearing, now I'm so frightened Cos the devil will drag you under By the shark tail fin of your checkered cab And I can't sit down, I'm going overboard in this heathen town It starts as a flirtation And ends up as an expensive habit With one eye on her place in debtor's prison And the other on a girl dressed as a rabbit Now you can live forever Endure fits and starts But the only stake you cannot raise Is the one driven through your heart It's just a heathen town I hear only evil as my tongue is tightened I used to be god-fearing, now I'm so frightened Cos the devil will drag you under By the shark tail fin of your checkered cab And I can't sit down, I'm going overboard In this heathen town And I can't sit down, I'm going overboard In this heathen town In this heathen town In this heathen town In this heathen town In this heathen town
— Dig it Ballyhoo, my friend. The passion project is doing something a little different today. My name is Remedy Robinson. And, for fun, this inaugural lyrics-only slow drag, let's listen to brilliant lyrics of "The Boy Named If," from the album of the same name, released in 2022. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. I'm a lucky so and so A fortunate stiff You said you never knew me but I'm the one you want to be with If I tumble from a tightrope or leap from a cliff I won't be dashed to pieces I'm the boy named "IF" If I disappear and I slipper from your view I just step upon a crack and I won't come back Imagine me And I'll imagine you too In a hollow of the bed sheet Or a picture in a frame I'm vivid as a summer's day Then never seen again Who'll pay the taxman? Who'll place the blame? Who'll point into an empty room And whisper my name? If I disappear and I slipper from your view You will step upon a crack and I won't come back Imagine me And I'll imagine you too Take my hand We'll go to "Magic Lantern Land" Take my hand See the pictures they've projected Take my hand We'll fill our pockets up with sand Dance in frantic passes 'Til the grains all turn to glasses Drums begin to navigate, the band strikes up a riff No one will believe you but the Boy Named If Who'll pay your entrance fee? Who'll leave a tip? Who'll say, "Listen here, Sunshine Don't you give me no lip" Who broke your favorite heart? Who stops and never starts? Who kiss you stupid? It must be something you did Who'll keep you satisfied after a lover's tiff? It must be some other guy not… The Boy Named If If I disappear and I slipper from your view You will step upon a crack and I won't come back Imagine me And I'll imagine you too Take my hand We'll go to "Magic Lantern Land" Take my hand See the pictures we've projected Take my hand We'll fill our pockets up with sand Dance in frantic passes 'Til the grains all turn to glasses . . . Again, this has been a slow drag lyrics only reading of "The Boy Named If" from 2022's album of the same name. Thank you for listening. And, of course, until next time, adieu my little ballyhoo Reference: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: The Boy Named If https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Boy_Named_If_(song)
Today's slow drag is with "Country Darkness," from "The Delivery Man," released in 2004. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Country Darkness" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Country_Darkness "Country Darkness" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwp42y6I8m8 Blade definition: https://appzaza.com/dictionary/blade Filament: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/filament#google_vignette Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Country Darkness" Lyrics This tattered document A mystery you can solve Some burnt out filament Flies buzzing around the bulb Country Darkness He thought of traveling Heard an approaching train Drown out his desperate pulse A song with no refrain Country Darkness She daydreams of forbidden sins There must be something more The prison she lives in The one with the open door A veil is covering A glistening cruel blade Suffer little children Repent, unfaithful maid Country Darkness She daydreams of forbidden sins There must be something more The prison she lives in The one with the open door A veil is covering A glistening cruel blade Suffer little children Repent, unfaithful maid Country Darkness
Today's slow drag is with "Tears before Bedtime," from "Imperial Bedroom," released in 1982. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Tears before Bedtime" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Imperial_Bedroom "Tears before Bedtime" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v_inbXiPLQ "Tears before Bedtime" Alternative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA8uLxyBF9I "Give up The Ghost" meaning https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/to-give-up-the-ghost#:~:text=Definition%20of%20'to%20give%20up%20the%20ghost'&text=If%20someone%20gives%20up%20the,what%20they%20are%20looking%20for. A chorus versus and hook: https://emastered.com/blog/hook-vs-chorus#:~:text=A%20chorus%20is%20usually%20preceded,make%20for%20a%20catchier%20tune. Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Tears before Bedtime" Lyrics I know the name on the tip of your tongue And I know that accusing look Everybody knows I've been so wrong That's the problem and here's the hook Chorus: Tears before bedtime There'll be trouble tonight I don't want to talk about it anymore I don't want to have another fight I don't want to talk I don't want to fight How wrong can I be before I am right For the tears that you boo hoo hoo There can be no defense You say you'll forgive and forget But it's only a pretense (Chorus) Either you can leave the past behind Or give me something to disconnect my mind I sleep with my fists clenched tight When I don't lie awake all night I guess time gave up the ghost too late And the balance of our love Very soon turns to hate Darling your suspiciousness Tortures me at night But I can't excuse the cruel words That I use whenever we fight (Chorus) How wrong can I be before I am right Alternate Version Lyrics I see that strange look in your eyes once again And the name on the tip of your tongue is of a woman and not a man There'll be tears before bedtime, they'll be trouble tonight I don't want to talk about it anymore, oh I don't want to fight How wrong can I be before I am right? The pain that I've given you there is no defense You say you'll forgive and forget but it's only a pretense There'll be tears before bedtime, they'll be trouble tonight I don't want to talk about it anymore, oh I don't want to fight How wrong can I be before I am right? Either you can leave the past behind or give me something to discount mind I sleep with my fists clenched tights when I don't lie awake all night I guess time gave up the ghost too late And the balance of our love Very soon turns to hate Suspicion and silence still torture my night And the cruel words of anger that run through all our fights They'll be tears before bedtime, I'll be trouble tonight I don't want to talk about it anymore, I don't want to fight How wrong can I be before I am right?
Today's slow drag is with "Stella Hurt," from "Momofuku," released in 2008. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Stella Hurt" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Stella_Hurt "Stella Hurt" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W93e5f6py9U "Chekhov's Gun" https://screencraft.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chekhovs-gun/ "Arcadia" https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcadia#:~:text=Now%20English%20speakers%20often%20use,%2C%20simple%2C%20or%20untroubled.%22 Blue Birds Songs: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/sounds# "The Other End of the Telescope" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grIxnYllZxk Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Stella Hurt" Lyrics You should wear your red galoshes Walking o'er the city pride Streets are paved with heaven's pennies Gutters full of suicides Teddy steadily fell from grace Somewhere near Arcadia Once she overheard a voice she didn't hear on the radio Velvet gloves and country clubs Were never going to hold her Ringing the necks of silly Southern belles Who wanted to scold her Don't bring me down I'm trouble bound Blue song Red Alert Who made Stella Hurt? Teddy soon dropped out of sight Turned up in another town Changed her name for the spotlight Singing like a blue bird in a sequin gown She finally fell and married well But I knew it wouldn't last Reversing back into the limelight No one ever saw her even half-plastered Don't bring me down I'm trouble bound Blue song Red Alert Who made Stella Hurt? Then she saw those soldier boys Throw their bonnets in the air Self-made men would pledge their fortunes And dream of her And dream of her... Generals in the commissary opened up a case of wine Checked the perfume of the cork Said "Made in 1929"... They used her up, to raise morale for money And Old Glory Her voice was shot beyond repair But this is not the last act of this story The night is black as cracked shellac Abandoned in an attic Stella is silent as the grave Until the needle drags her through the static Don't bring me down I'm trouble bound Blue song Red Alert Who made Stella Hurt?
Today's slow drag is with "The Difference," from "The Boy Named If," released in 2023. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "The Difference" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Difference "The Difference" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tvg-OfP1LA Octameter: https://poemanalysis.com/poetic-meter/#:~:text=Octameter%20Octameter%20refers%20to%20a,patterns%20in%20English%20language%20verse. The difference between undertone and overtone https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/undertone-and-overtone What is an appositive: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appositive Fiddlehead Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDYe6ZMs3K4 Fiddlehead: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiddlehead The Male Gaze: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-male-gaze-5118422 Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "The Difference" Lyrics I pulled a petal from the flower to tell just where my fortune fell About a boy beyond my caution before I lay beneath his spell And he said, "Do you know, do you know, do you, by chance, know wrong from right?" "Do you know, do you know, do you know what turns pleasure to plight? If you trust me, I know it may seem strange I'll show you the way down into the underworld" I did just what he asked me to Lifted my skirt to show him my shoe Upon a reel of the finest fiddlehead Light as the dance around Milady's bed The steps came faster at his insistence 'Til he showed me all about the difference "It's not about the things I promised, it's not about the vow we broke If I am faithless or dishonest it's just the gaze that you provoke" And he said, "Do you know, do you know, do you, by chance, know wrong from right?" "Do you know, do you know, do you know what turns pleasure to plight? If you kiss me, at first it may seem strange I'll show you the way into another world" My father shamed me just like you Buried my name in a glass or two 'Til he came to me in his darkest house He mistook me, took me for his spouse And my cries for a woman in the distance So, I took this knife to show him the difference 'Til he came to me in his darkest house He mistook me, took me for his spouse And my cries for the woman in the distance So, I used this knife to show him the difference
Today's slow drag is with "Lipstick Vogue," from "This Year's Model," released in 1978. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Lipstick Vogue" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Lipstick_Vogue "Lipstick Vogue" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3sqZUMgcX4 Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Lipstick Vogue" Lyrics Don't say you love me when it's just a rumor Don't say a word if there is any doubt Sometimes I think that love is just a tumor You've got to cut it out You say you're sorry for the things that you've done You say you're sorry but you know you don't mean it I wouldn't worry, I had so much fun Sometimes I almost feel just like a human being It's you Not just another mouth in the lipstick vogue It's you Not just another mouth in the lipstick vogue Oh yeah Get to the slot machine almost dead on arrival Just hit me one more time with that live wire Maybe they told you you were only a girl in a million You say I've got no feelings This is a good way to kill them Select the control and then insert the token You wanna throw me away but I'm not broken You've got a lot to say, well I'm not jokin There are some words they don't allow to be spoken Sometimes I almost feel just like a human being It's you Not just another mouth in the lipstick vogue It's you Not just another mouth in the lipstick vogue Not just another mouth lost in the lipstick vogue (repeats)
Today's slow drag is with "The Spell That You Cast," from "National Ransom," released in 2010. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "The Spell That You Cast" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Spell_That_You_Cast "The Spell That You Cast" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEYZTE8BDuE The Difference between You Got and You Have: https://preply.com/en/question/you-got-youve-got-43032#:~:text="You%20have%20got"%20fully%20correct,missed%20too%20many%20days%20already."&text="You%27ve"%20(short,"%20(have%20is%20missing). Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook of "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "The Spell That You Cast" Lyrics The spell that you cast Well, it seems to be wearing off fast (The spell that you cast) Come back baby, cos I don't think that I can last (The spell that you cast) And I wonder whether You got some other kind of lover < grammar That you like to please Better than me Don't think I can take it How am I gonna break it? The spell that you cast The spell that you cast The spell that you've woven Well, it seems to be coming undone (The spell that you cast) Come back, Baby or at least tell me where you are going (The spell that you cast) And you know quite well That I'm not the jealous kinda fella But they look in your eyes And they're all hypnotized I'm gonna miss you madly 'Cos I love you sadly The spell that you cast The spell that you cast Jimmy, come quickly 'cos I feel quite sickly (Oh, the spell that you cast) You're like a gangster's Molly with a cannonade volley (Oh, the spell that you cast) (Oh, the spell that you cast) Here we go… Don't think I can take it How am I gonna break it? The spell that you cast .
Today's slow drag is with "Blame It on Cain," from "My Aim is True," released in 1977. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag Slow Drag with Remedy on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f521a34-2ed9-4bd4-a936-1ad107969046/slow-drag-with-remedy-an-elvis-costello-appreciation References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "Blame It on Cain" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Blame_It_On_Cain "Blame It on Cain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfHaI7rVp9g "The Ticker's Rise and Fall" https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2008/02/01/the-tickers-rise-and-fall/ "Shallow Grave" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN5qkhNHEKg "Good Luck Grin" https://stirredblog.com/2017/03/13/baldwin-bar/ Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "Blame It on Cain" Lyrics Once upon a time, I had a little money Government burglars took it long before I could mail it to you Still, you are the only one Now I can't let it slip away So, if the man with the ticker tape, tries to take it, this is what I'm gonna say Blame it on Cain Don't blame it on me Oh, oh, it's nobody's fault but we need somebody to burn Well, if I was a saint with a silver cup and the money got low we could always heat it up or trade it in then the radio to heaven will be wired to your purse And then you can run down the waveband, coast to coast, hand in hand Bad to worse, curse for curse, don't be dissatisfied So, you're not satisfied (Chorus) I think I lived a little too long on the outskirts of town I think I'm going insane from talking to myself for so long Oh, but I never been acute But when they step upon your face, they wear that good look grin I gotta break out one weekend if I do somebody in But every single time I feel a little stronger they tell me it's a crime Well, how much longer? (Chorus) Blame it on Cain Please don't blame it on me It's nobody's fault, but it just seems to be his turn
Today's slow drag is with "American Gangster Time," from "Momofuku," released in 2008. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. . . . Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com "Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, Podcasts" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Podcasts Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, "American Gangster Time" https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=American_Gangster_Time "American Gangster Time" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnRIKlVsk1w Flag Etiquette: https://www.vfw.org/community/flag-etiquette Flatter to Deceive idiom meaning: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/flatter-to-deceive#:~:text=to%20give%20the%20appearance%20of,just%20a%20lull%20in%20hostilities. Purchase "The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday" Listen to the audiobook for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y "American Gangster Time" Lyrics: One, two, three, four Somewhere downtown a pretty girl kneels Offers her soft lips and a handful of pills Peels off her dress and then the rest of her skills It buys what she wants and the rest she just steals He speaks between deep swallows of rum While her head is beating like a big bass drum And she wishes he were mute and not just dumb When the trick asked her quick, "Did you come?" It's a drag Saluting that starry rag I'd rather go blind For speaking my mind Or use it just like a gag So, raise it in anger Just let it hang American Gangster Time He sits back and starts to invent All about some Saigon correspondent "'Til the carbine fell silent and spent I never knew it could be so eloquent" Next week there'll be some fashionable new sin For each harlot and each Puritan Pull off their wings stick them on a pin And just watch the money roll in It's a drag Saluting that starry rag I'd rather go blind For speaking my mind Or use it just like a gag So, raise it in anger Just let it hang American Gangster Time What you got hidden up your sleeve? The tracks of the train that were bidding you to leave When they say that you should flatter to deceive Don't count on any reprieve The hands of the helpless are raised Your dead little secrets are praised The people stand dumbstruck and dazed By the inches that you have erased It's a drag Saluting that starry rag I'd rather go blind For speaking my mind Or use it just like a gag So, raise it in anger Just let it hang American gangster time Committing the perfect crime In American Gangster Time Here we go Bye bye American Gangster Time