Today’s slow drag is with “A Slow Drag with Josephine” from “National Ransom,” released in 2010. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. It’s a lilting and precious piece that deploys vintage literary techniques of both time and space. With a few choice words scattered about, the piece resides squarely in the past, all the while tackling modern and timeless issues of love, lust, and availability. It’s a narrative that reveals the action out of sequence, giving away the ending long before we even realize it has even begun. 33 or so years removed from the proclamation that there will be “No Dancing,” “A Slow Drag with Josephine” has become and continues to be the obvious inspiration of this is very podcast. And if we were keeping score, we might just mention that this is episode 100 of “Slow Drag with Remedy.” The snitch, the snoop, the tattletale Lead a threadbare up the stairs Adieu, my little ballyhoo You broke my heart in two And now I haunt the bars and scent those trite affairs She went home to gather her comb And caught him unawares Infusing this verse with an alliterative /t/ sound while rhyming stairs/affairs/unaware is just another day in front of the soft touch typewriter for this clever wordsmith. A “ballyhoo,” moreover, further justifies the overused adjective of “genius” I continue to bestow upon my most cherished singer/songwriter. In addition to being an entirely pleasing word to roll around on your tongue, a “ballyhoo,” is of course, a commotion, or more to my point, an “ado.” If there were such a thing, this could be considered a homophonic embedded “identical rhyme” with the charming, “adieu” at the beginning of the line. “Ballyhoo” is a low frequency word of unknown origin, with a peak popularity around 1934. It’s a word that Mr. Costello has plucked out of obscurity in order to place inside the zeitgeist of this very particular world-scape. And there was a man enjoying the lay of the land He took a walk in the dark with a dish from the stand Girls and their creations Tied in the brightest grenadine But I'd take all that I've seen For a Slow Drag with Josephine The man “enjoying the lay of the land” is a sly observation, isn’t it? In a piece with an abundance of French references, it seems only fitting to include this clever double entendre. Then in the very next line, Mr. Costello’s firm grasp of grammar continues to dazzle. “He took a walk in the dark with the dish from the stand.” It’s another double meaning with “dish,” of course, as well as a string of three perfectly placed prepositions, in/with/from. Though small, they are still mighty. Grenadine, as a color, is bright apple red with ruby undertones. As a fabric, it’s a gauzy weave, popularized in 19th century France. In the context of this piece, it is an elongated word that’s been placed with precision to convey as much information as possible. Popularized first in France, Josephine was the 185th most popular girl’s name in 2010, when this piece was released. The name saw its highest popularity, at least in the US, in 1916, when it was the 21st more popular girl’s name. Josephine, Josephine But I'd trade all that I've seen for a Slow Drag with Josephine As with Veronica and Alison before her, there is little doubt “Josephine” is anything less than an inspired choice. So, with the inclusion of these few words so far in this piece, ballyhoo/grenadine/Josephine, they’ve helped to lift the narrative into a funnel cloud of intriguing nostalgia. Gavottes, garrotes, Cotillions and slow Arabesques Drum-rolls and Farandoles were all made in jest But when you make that move I can't resist When will you declare your armistice? Let’s add the word, “armistice,” a plucky way to say “truce,” to the aforementioned ballyhoo/grenadine/Josephine as another example of positioning this piece in history. Now, this isn’t intended to be a history lesson by any means, but I’ll nevertheless give it a go to place these dances into perspective. A “Gavotte” is a “lively plebian kissing dance” from the Baroque period in England and France. A “Garrote,” more familiar as its definition as a ligature, is a dance choreographed with a length of twine, seemingly popular in South American religious rites. A Cotillion, the precursor to the square dance, is a formal ballroom dance from the eighteenth century where participants change partners frequently. Its purpose was to exhibit young people’s etiquette training. An Arabesque is “a specific pose, in which the dancer’s weight is supported by one leg while the other leg is held backward in the air.” Now, I’m not sure if a “drum roll” is anything more than a musical sound, so let me know if I’m mistaken. So, finally, a “Farandole” is a lively dance where dancers join hands and execute various figures. This particular dance has some similarities to the Gavotte, the Jig, and to the Tarantella.” “Tarantella,” a word that always puts me in mind of Tom Waits’ “Tango Till You’re Sore” from the “Rain Dogs.” Who doesn’t love Tom Waits? This leaves only the sexy, hip-grinding Slow Drag to define. In sharp contrast to the aforementioned communal, chaste ballroom dances where participants barely touched each other, the Slow Drag, reminiscent of a public orgy some said, was never intended to be a “social or performance” type of dance. It’s fair to say it’s intended to be a scandalous public spectacle. It’s proven to be the perfect metaphor, sans the orgy part of course, for the close to-and-fro I continue to do with Mr. Costello’s exquisite creations. In another time and place a different fate was cast He tried to skeddle-daddle-do She might have slapped him Just for saying "Grant one more chance before you pass" "Then curse the nurse that named me the first or bury me at last" Happily adding to the other low frequency/highly illustrative bygone words in this 225-word piece, “skeddle-daddle-do” is the fourth example of Mr. Costello’s historical lexical prowess. The non-linear approach to this narrative that begins with a goodbye, seems to double back to the moment when she’d caught him unawares. Or, it’s a different exchange between different people entirely. There’s something life and death about it, so the verse’s final line suggests, although nothing is set in stone. And in three-quarter time The true and the false Dancing the "Hesitation Waltz" Then comes the "Flirtation" And temptation Hip, hip hooray Listen to what I say Then you can take it away… A mainstay in his canon, Mr. Costello’s attention to detail is on full display in this entire piece, not least of which is the verbal manifestation of the beat he creates between the words “hesitation” and “waltz,” which is probably reflected in the mention of “three quarters time,” but I’m not sure. Please let me know if this is correct. As I can’t mention enough, the “Elvis Costello Wiki” is an invaluable resource, especially when it comes to the nuances of the written lyrics. In this instance, the word “flirtation” is capitalized and in quotes, keying me into the fact that it might also a dance. Sure enough, Mr. Google tells me that the “Flirtation” is a traditional Dominican square dance, borrowed from the French, that comprises a total of five different types of “Flirtation.” This brings the count to an impressive total of 8 types of dances named in under 3 minutes. And finally, while I can’t exactly pinpoint the meaning behind “listen to what I say, then you can take it away,” I just know it seems to both wrap up and inspire more movement with this journey through time and space beautifully. —Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “A Slow Drag with Josephine” from 2010’s “National Ransom.” This piece could have easily been set in modern time, with modern dances and modern words, and it would have been really good. As written, however, it comprises a heavy French influence as it showcases more of Mr. Costello’s encyclopedic knowledge of, well, would it be hyperbolic to simply use the word “everything”? It goes the extra mile to position the action in time and space. I simply can’t imagine a single mind that has this type of recall for so many words, phrases, and obscure references, and then goes on to fit them together in such a masterful way. That’s why these slow drags have proved to be as enlightening as they have fun. I loved all these pieces before. Now, I truly love and respect them, and can’t wait to do the next 400 songs. “A Slow Drag with Josephine” might have been the inspiration for this podcast’s name and structure, but it remains Mr. Costello’s brilliance that inspires me every single day. His stellar work reminds me that there are huge worlds within worlds left to explore. And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. Other gems from “National Ransom” you’ll enjoy a slow drag with is episode 3, “Sing Hallelujah, Sister,” a slow drag with “Church Underground,” episode 37 “Gallivant in Peg-Leg Pants,” a slow drag with “A Voice in the Dark,” episode 44, “The Black Keys of Her Fine Wine,” a slow drag with “Stations of the Cross,” episode 73, “Jingling Spurs,” a slow drag with “Jimmie Standing in the Rain,” and episode 79, “Filled with Phrases,” a slow drag with “Five Small Words.” 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 Linguist 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, “A Slow Drag with Josephine” http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/A_Slow_Drag_With_Josephine “A Slow Drag with Josephine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1II-SELD9k Gavotte, Baroque Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0tB2rGh1kM Gavotte definition: https://www.britannica.com/art/gavotte Garrotes Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C32zAHaIJt4 Garrote (method of torture by strangulation) definition: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/garrote Cotillions, definition and difference: https://www.astoriabanquets.com/difference-between-a-cotillion-and-a-debutante-ball.htm Cotillion Dance example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvItgHeD2EU Arabesque: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmRrfm1ihGg Arabesque in Dance, definition: https://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3farndo.htm Farandole dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzUeMwM9CCQ Farandole dance definition: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/farandole Slow Drag Dance Moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lFWWheBVuA A bit of The Slow Drag Dance history: https://atomicballroom.com/blog/2011/05/17/slow-it-down-with-slow-drag/ “Tango Till You’re Sore, Tom Waits from the seminal “Rain Dogs”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjLBWJutzEI “Flirtation – Dominica’s Traditional Dance”: https://dominicaexplorer.com/dominica/dominica-traditional-dances/flirtation-dance/ “Flirtation Two Step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtj-SFouB6o 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 |