Today’s slow drag is with “Dishonor the Stars” from the Grammy Award winning “Look Now,” released in 2018. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. It could be argued that ardent fans of Mr. Costello such as ourselves, and we do know who we are, treasure his ability to put any sentiment on its ear, to twist a phrase into any shape he commands, to reveal a truth or a lie that’s been forsaken in a shocking turn of events. Part of the joy that surrounds the words throughout “Dishonor the Stars,” interestingly, is how it muddles our well-worn expectations of Mr. Costello’s work in a far more unfamiliar fashion by simply not turning sentiment on its ear. The result is a lush and metered piece that plays with narration and cadence, as we’ve come to expect from this genius, yet with the potential to leave the listener reeling from its earnest portrayal of what could be thought of as a beautiful love song. If you wake and chance to look above you There's one that I named to show how much I love you Hanging up high This first verse sets itself apart by addressing “you,” and not wavering from this position, albeit for just a second later on in the piece, rejecting a more cynical, distancing, shift. The “you” referenced, to my mind anyhow, is not the third person “you.” Rather, it’s a specific second person “you” who has taken his fancy. It’s intimate, forthright, and frankly, unusual. Poets long have written and have sung of moonlight and some distant satellite and when we're young we wish upon them The melodic cadence of how each word is sung is so incredibly inviting, hanging on the small words, such as “and” and “of” before swooping to the next line. As with the first verse, there are no punches in need of being pulled in this second verse either, just a mention of how the greats do it and the time when hope reigned supreme. There is no past tense referenced, either; simply, “when we are young, we wish upon,” allowing the age of optimism to remain bright eyed. It makes the verse sparkle with hope. Other men may only dream to kiss you But it's not a thrill like this Put your lips a little closer to my cheek then whisper, then speak So, tell me if you know How deep can this thing go? Kiss/this, cheek/speak, know/go. These delicate rhymes fold around a sentiment that goes past mere want of possession. It can’t be as simple as anticipation, though, but there’s certainly something familiar, something about how the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when close to someone we adore. Still in the second person, referring to one specific person, the narrative nevertheless might have shifted here; the object of this desire is given a voice. It’s not a question, but rather words the narrator wishes to have spoken back to him. Even at his most earnest, there is still room for mystery and exhilaration in dancing a slow drag with these words. Honey will still desire the flowers And there will be a love like ours Until the sky dishonors the stars What in the world would all this amount to? If I can't tell you how much I want you On such a night the sky might dishonor the stars Disown and dishonor the stars I could be completely wrong, but I’ve always wondered if the “honey” who desires the flowers is actually a pet name. Either way, these words spill with emotion. To use words such as “forever” might feel hyperbolic, a lofty goal at best, the lowest hanging fruit in a lover’s vocabulary. As the man once said, “forever doesn’t mean forever anymore…” Therefore, to cite a specific event that is destined to never happen in a million years, that is to say the sky forsaking its stars, places the sentiment of how long a love like theirs will last on much more solid ground. Am I right to infer that the words will never fail him? Let me take the moment to say that it’s always a thrill to do these slow drags with Mr. Costello’s work. Even the songs I thought I knew inside and out reveal more when we slow them down and really delve into the words themselves. I want to sincerely thank you for listening and supporting me in this endeavor. Thank you as well for continuing to help get the word out about this little passion project. Keep the tweets and comments coming. I love hearing from you. Poets long have written and have sung of moonlight and some distant satellite and when we're young we wish upon them Other men may only dream to kiss you But it's not a thrill like this Put your lips a little closer to my cheek then whisper, then speak So, tell me if you know How deep can this thing go? Honey will still desire the flowers And there will be a love like ours Until the sky dishonors the stars What in the world would all this amount to? If I can't tell you how much I want you On such a night the sky might dishonor the stars Disown and dishonor the stars Nearly the entire first half of this piece, except for the first verse, is repeated here at the end. In fact, the entire piece is comprised on a mere, and for Mr. Costello I do mean a mere, 139 novel words. There’s something extra lovely about how the author himself seems to feel about these words, as evidenced by the desire to linger on their beauty a little while longer. — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Dishonor the Stars” from 2018’s Grammy Award winning “Look Now.” Perhaps the last time we’d heard such sincerity from this poet was 10 years prior, with Momofuku’s “My Three Sons.” Nevertheless, there are still so many stark mental images, so many lush feelings, vivid thoughts, and clever speculations coursing through this piece that, despite the absence of overt “guilt and revenge,” it still rings true as an Elvis Costello original. So much talent in this one person, it’s staggering. Other gems from “Look Now” you’ll enjoy a slow drag with are episode 13, “Not Quite Against My Will,” it’s a slow drag with “Stripping Paper,” episode 64, “Just Laughing Inside,” a slow drag with “Suspect My Tears,” and episode 89, “Hey You Out There,” a slow drag with “Why Won’t Heaven Help me.” And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. I’ll be back soon with another slow drag. So, please subscribe so you won’t miss an episode. As always, thank you for helping to get the word out about this little passion project. Truly, it means the world. So, until next time, adieu, my little ballyhoo. Show Notes: Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Twitter: https://twitter.com/slowdragremedy Email: [email protected] Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, “Dishonor the Stars” http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Dishonor_The_Stars “Dishonor the Stars” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E18wcuJYxRM Purchase “The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday” Comments are closed.
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AboutSlow Drag with Remedy is an Elvis Costello podcast appreciation. It's an exploration of linguistics, language, poetry, and clever wordplay as framed by the peerless poetry of the modern-day master, Elvis Costello. Slow Drag by Song
Poor Napoleon Alibi Church Underground The Big Light Georgie and Her Rival Joe Porterhouse No Hiding Place 20% Amnesia All This Useless Beauty Let Him Dangle King of Thieves Damnation's Cellar Stripping Paper Pidgin English Riot Act Bedlam The Quickening Art Luxembourg Chemistry Class Living in Paradise My Mood Swings Waiting for the End of the World Little Atoms Two Little Hitlers Crimes of Paris You Tripped at Every Step Needle Time Men Called Uncle Peace in Our Time The Loved Ones I Almost Had a Weakness Our Little Angel Invasion Hit Parade Turpentine Miracle Man A Voice in the Dark The Greatest Thing Satellite Hand in Hand Clubland Tart Glitter Gulch Stations of the Cross Science Fiction Twin Possession This Sad Burlesque Flutter and Wow Soul for Hire After the Fall Blue Chair Monkey to Man Mouth Almighty Watch Your Step ...This Town... Distorted Angel Worthless Thing No Dancing Miss Macbeth Charm School Poor Fractured Atlas Brilliant Mistake My Little Blue Window Suspect My Tears Coal Train Robberies Fish 'n' Chip Papers I Hope You're Happy Now Man Out of Time 13 Steps Lead Down Go Away Sweet Pear The Name of This Thing is Not Love Jimmie Standing in the Rain The Deportees Club The Birds Will Still Be Singing Starting to Come to Me Pay It Back Five Small Words Pretty Words Radio Silence Human Hands Night Rally I'll Wear It Proudly Motel Matches Drum and Bone Harpies Bizarre Nothing Clings Like Ivy Why Won't Heaven Help Me Next Time 'Round The River in Reverse A Room with No Number Clown Strike The Invisible Man My Most Beautiful Mistake All the Rage The Town Where Time Stood Still Episode of Blonde e of Blonde No Flag A Slow Drag with Josephine That Bridge I Burned Sour Milk Cow Blues You Little Fool Spooky Girlfriend Suit of Lights There's a Story in Your Voice Dishonor The Stars The Other Side of Summer Mischievous Ghost They're Not Laughing at Me Now White Knuckles Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind? Black and White World The World and His Wife
God's Comic The First to Leave Green Shirt The Man You Love to Hate Lip Service American Gangster Time Blame It on Cain The Spell That You Cast Lipstick Vogue The Difference Stella Hurt Tears before Bedtime |