Today’s slow drag is with “The Man You Love to Hate,” from “The Boy Named If,” released in 2022. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. This jaunty, sinister piece utilizes many literary devices to perfection: allusion, alliteration, metaphor, mythological references, a little bit of meta reminiscences maybe, and of course, Mr. Costello’s brilliant brand of wordplay that continues to astound. Or, at least I think all of this is going on. This slow drag comes with the caveat that this appreciation doubles as a hope of a conversation about what exactly do you think is going on in this dreadfully alluring piece. I went to a theatre on Silhouette Street It had a taste of decay, and a scent of defeat All of the patrons in the pews were people that I'd killed or used The actors on the stage were equally skilled The players took turns in lighting the fuse One of them said "Now you must choose" Our brilliant wordsmith, Mr. Costello, has disrupted the more familiar collocations, taste of defeat and the smell of decay, flipping them in order to confound our senses. The “taste of decay,” and the “scent of defeat” starts this piece off on its back foot. The sensory manipulation doesn’t end there; the double meaning of “pew” is both childish and sophisticated. Take note of the seemingly implausible “people that I’d killed or used,” as it will undoubtedly come up again. What do you think of arbitrary nature of “equally skilled”? It makes the mind reel with possibilities as to their actual level of accomplishment. And while it might be safe to assume that the “actors” and “players” are one in the same, this cannot be concretely quantified. Likewise, we don’t have much to go on regarding this mysterious fuse. Unless I’ve missed a clue. A man of infamy or ill-repute And that's the one that we will execute There seems to have been a bit of unfinished business between the first verse and this bridge. The last line of the preceding verse asserted, “one of them said ‘now you must choose.’” So, here are the options: infamy or ill repute. Ostensibly, these words are synonyms. Never you mind, though, since you’re doomed whichever one you choose. Opting for the word “ill repute” over “disrepute” adds to the sensory aspect of this piece, not to mention it adds a nice little touch of alliteration. Mr. Costello makes it clear that there is a huge distinction between being prolific and being careless. There’s not a hair out of place. None of that mob had turned up late They said, "You'd better concentrate” So, start the show, 'cos we can't wait for The Man You Love to Hate Densely populated, ready we’ve had references to “patrons, “actors,” “players,” and now to “that mob.” It has undertones of the arguably meta “Suit of Lights” from my sentimental favorite, “King of America.” And while there might be a bit more meta action as we go through these lyrics, you’d best shut your mouth if you think “The Man You Love to Hate” is in any way a reference to our beloved entertainer, Mr. Costello myself. Could you imagine someone “hate listening” to Elvis Costello? I’d put my money on that hate dissipating quicker than you can say “I’m shattered like a piece of crystal, porcelain, or alabaster.” All of the patrons sitting on pews Where the shades of the ghosts of the once accused There was music that dragged in line and word Not a penny was spent, or a conscience was spared The hero's motives were never in doubt We laughed at the speeches that he would spout Suddenly there arose a shout As yet I’ve not mentioned the rhymes and their schemes in this piece, but they’re as clever and elegant as ever. In this verse alone there’s pews/accused, doubt/spout/shout, and a great near rhyme in the middle, word/spared. Here again, we have another reference to “patrons.” Recall from the first verse, “all of the patrons…were people that I’d killed or used.” Now those same patrons sit “where the shades of the ghosts of the once accused.” I’m working hard to reconcile these two revelations. The ghosts could be of the “ones” he killed, but that’s not the information we’ve been provided with. It’s the ghosts of the accused. My golly, this is so complicated in such a lovely way. And, as mentioned above, this is where the conversation starts. Who’s the hero? And are their motives, in fact, “heroic”? What is meant by a conscience wasn’t spared? I’m American and not as familiar as many of you are, but this has a bit of a pantomime feel to it. I’m not sure, so please let me know. Confessions simply tumbled out And marriage vows, that someone mumbled about As with the unfinished business about having to choose from the first verse, the second verse, right before this bridge offers another piece of unattended to business. There was a mention of laughable speeches and something shouted. Turns out it was a confession and mumbled marriage vows. The closing act The first one billed Into the limelight thrilled The closing act, I assume, is synonymous with the headliner, the top billed performer. As such, there’s not a lot of information imparted that I can decipher. The tale of a ship lured onto the rocks under The cover of darkness, the hold was plundered My mouth was parched my eyes red-rimmed My false light shone And my ghost light dimmed In the Odyssey, it’s hubris that causes Poseidon to sink Odysseus’ ship, after Odysseus reveals his true identity. If I’ve misremembered this, please let me know. Past that allusion, I’m at sea, as to make heads or tails of the meaning behind this third verse. What is a “false light” and what is a “ghost light”? And, what makes one shine and one dim? Having a parched mouth on a sinking ship sounds to me like a rephrasing of “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of an Ancient Mariner.” Oh, this is so intriguing. I went to a house on Silhouette Street Where I lived once and died once more Awoke a woman I once adored Her husband came to the door In a masquerade of dignity He said, "I'm pleased to meet you but you don't know me" She took my money and handed me the key Using two sets of appealing rhymes, more/adored/door and dignity/me/key, this fourth verse brings us back to the first line of the piece. Only now, it’s a house, rather than a theatre on Silhouette Street. The reference is not mere coincidence, of course. There are ghosts populating each verse, and the threat of infamy or ill repute lingers after each line. How meta can we assume this verse is? Frankly, sometimes I feel as if somethings are none of our business. The number on the fob was "999" She whispered that's your room and this is mine But that's a chamber that you can't afford It's one door down, next to the Emergency Ward Here’s another fantastic rhyme pair of 999/mine. 999, of course, denotes “emergency,” mirroring the word mentioned in the last line. I really love how the distinction between hotel and hospital seems to have gotten a bit muddled over the course of this perplexing, provocative verse. I'm a one party state The Man You Love to Hate The girl you used to care for Without a why or wherefore The country that I loved Is just a problem to solve Until we all disintegrate before The Man You Love to Hate As with other pieces, namely “Painted from Memory’s” “Toledo,” and “Brutal Youth’s” “London’s Brilliant Parade,” Mr. Costello doesn’t seem content to leave well enough alone. In each of these pieces, there’s an ending outro/coda, that spits out a little more information, adding a parting shot that feels almost beside the point. “The girl you used to care for, without a why or wherefore.” I love the use of the word “wherefore.” It just means “reason,” yet evokes Shakespeare. Mr. Costello’s word choice is always a marvel. And ok, ok, while the narrative does say he’s the “the man you love to hate,” I still refuse to believe it’s self-referential. As with so many passages, expressions, metaphors, and allusions, this coda invites an entire conversation all its own. I strongly believe we owe it to Mr. Costello to honor his dedication to his craft by dedication of our own. To know we’ll never fully understand, yet continue to puzzle over these words is part of the joy, the absolute joy of being an Elvis Costello fan. — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “The Man You Love to Hate” from 2022’s “The Boy Named If.” Mr. Costello is so prolific, innovative, thoughtful, giving, and fearless as a songwriter. As such, I truly believe it is our responsibility to put in the work to at least appreciate, explore, if not exactly understand, what he’s writing about, attempt to puzzle through his poetic meaning. Then again, it might all be pretty sounding nonsense for all I know. The answer isn’t as interesting as the pursuit, in my opinion. So, what are your linguistic and language thoughts, suspicions, and musings about this rowdy piece? I hope my humble attempt to piece it all together has been entertaining as well as edifying. I imagine this is a piece that will warrant another slow drag sometime in the future, after it’s wiggled itself a little more deeply into my brain and heart tissue. Another precious gem from “The Boy Named If” you’ll enjoy a slow drag with is “His Magnum Opus,” that’s a slow drag with “My Most Beautiful Mistake,” a piece I continue to be truly besotted with. And 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_remedy/ Bluesky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/indoorfirewords.bsky.social Email: [email protected] Transcription: https://slowdragwithremedy.weebly.com Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, “The Man You Love to Hate” https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Man_You_Love_To_Hate “The Man You Love to Hate” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZU9b4NOQBQ Purchase “The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday” Listen to the audiobook for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7n1pN8D1Y 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 |