Today’s slow drag is with “Stella Hurt,” from “Momofuku,” released in 2008. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. The entire album might have been built on the conceit of “instant,” yet each piece has tremendous staying power. All this time later, “Stella Hurt” has only gained in approachable and inscrutability. It’s layered and complicated, but with such likability. Contained within a jaunty and distorted tune, the lyrics detail an epic tale, worthy of a fine feature film. Mr. Costello’s word choice, metaphor, and word economy coils neatly around every word in this cinematic piece. You should wear your red galoshes Walking o'er the city pride Streets are paved with heaven's pennies Gutters full of suicides Set down in the most tenuous ab/ab pattern, this first verse provides vital baseline information regarding the story that’s about to unfold. It suggests it’s going to be a cautionary tale, even if it’s merely a sweet reminder to not let your feet get wet. It’s a showbiz parable, perhaps, about haves and have nots, and how close one is to the other, mere inches. The mention of the color red, not surprisingly, does have the potential to divert the Elvis Costello fan’s mind to certain other shoes. But, looking forward to the chorus, there will be a “red alert,” so maybe there’s something more to it. In literature, there’s a devise known as “Chekhov’s Gun,” where something seemingly unimportant becomes significant later. Then again, there is also such a thing as a “red herring.” Galoshes/pennies, as touched upon above, make a very near rhyme, helped by the inflectional morphology at the end of each word. The British term, “Wellies,” might complete the rhyme more overtly, but Mr. Costello belongs to the world now. His vocabulary has shifted. “Galoshes” is a funny sounding word, but certainly not as funny, or confusing, had he used the British slang, “rubbers” to begin the piece. Teddy steadily fell from grace Somewhere near Arcadia Once she overheard a voice she didn't hear on the radio Alluding to the imagery of the gutter in the first verse, Teddy’s steady fall is foreboding, to be sure. Arcadia, in addition to being a city near Las Angeles in southern California, is also an “Eden” sort of place, “a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet.” Did she fall once she heard a voice, meaning when she heard the voice? Or, overhearing a voice, if in fact she’s near this Utopia, it might suggest the silence has been broken. These are but two glimpses into the true meaning, if there is one. There are so many interpretations that keeps this piece afloat, I’d be a fool to wade further into this literal and figurative statement. I just love how Arcadia/radio rhyme internally. Mr. Costello, you utter genius. Velvet gloves and country clubs Were never going to hold her Ringing the necks of silly Southern belles Who wanted to scold her The imagery of Teddy, if this verse is indeed about Teddy, continues to come into sharper focus. We know roughly where this person is from, and what her seemingly enviable predicament might be. Released two years after “The Delivery Man,” of which the stellar Emmylou Harris was featured, this verse has always brought her to mind. Her, or perhaps Lucinda Williams, might have been the inspiration for this vignette, although my money would be on Emmylou. Don't bring me down I'm trouble bound Blue song Red Alert Who made Stella Hurt? And with this chorus, we come to why it’s such a good idea to do a slow drag with Mr. Costello’s work. It’s Stella Hurt, with a capital H, a pseudonym, much like Remedy Robinson or, say, Elvis Costello. So, the question isn’t who harmed Stella, although that cannot help but stays foremost in the listener’s mind. The question is who created the performer, the persona of “Stella Hurt”? If you clocked this difference, then you’re a better Costello fan than I am. Just kidding. No, you’re not. But you are very observant nevertheless. Again, we’re met with the suggestion of a downward trajectory. The mention of a “blue song” fascinates me. “Blue” as in sad? “Blue” as in intellectual? “Blue” as is smutty or off color? What a great way to describe blue: off color. Ah, words. 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 Perhaps here’s the evidence of when the stage name emerged, and it does seem as if it’s Teddy whose been referenced throughout the piece so far. Even if it seems obvious, it’s always a good idea to not assume anything with an Elvis Costello piece. What town do you think she turned up in? I’d guess Vegas, given her attire. But, if an Elvis Costello piece feels too easy or obvious, then I must be doing something wrong. Here we have the use of the word “blue” again, a tactic many lessor poets might shy away from. A blue bird, they say, has “a fairly low-pitched, warbling song made up of several phrases.” Its song lasts about 2 seconds. The length of certain fame, perhaps? The distance between the sidewalk and the gutter? 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 More downward imagery, more irony with its use. Marrying well isn’t typically associated with falling, so boy does it evoke quite a complicated picture. Again, Mr. Costello and his exquisite word economy. So, here’s my question, here’s my suspicion, if you will. Plastered, let’s assume in this instance means to be drunk, we might agree. If no one had seen her “half plastered,” it doesn’t necessary mean they’ve only seen her sober. Perhaps she’s only been seen, well, plastered. 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... I’ve been a Mr. Costello fan for a very long time, yet it still staggers me how a word choice can make such an impact. In this instance, “boys” and “bonnets.” It, at once, gives an otherwise hard-nosed type story a wholesome feel, as it also serves as a reminder of how young military personnel could be, and how women were used to boost morale. 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 More falling. From boys to men now, the dichotomy between the have and have nots continue to make themselves apparent. The story started so innocently, with galoshes, then detailed the road to stardom and the duties one must face in order to stay out of the gutter, and now the reckoning, the price one pays for fame, perhaps. The inability to sing like that blue bird in a sequin gown. Nevertheless, redemption, or infamy, is soon to follow. 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 Having learned from “The Other End of the Telescope,” or at least I did, that a “shellac” is basically what is now a vinyl record, the imagery of Stella’s old albums, dusty and tucked away in an attic, lives on, regardless of the path it took Teddy to find her voice, only to ultimately lose it. The needle drags her. Yes, of course, this is in reference to her voice, with all the nostalgic skips and pops projecting from the stylus, but there are more clues. Silent as the grave. Dead? Well, that’s not much of a simile if so. Remember her voice was “used up.” Or perhaps she just went back to her Utopian “Arcadia.” Then, there’s always the possibility of drugs; she was never seen half-plastered. All this conjecture is to say, “Stella Hurt” is more than a pop song, it’s a memoir, a documentary; it’s folklore, and as mentioned, a cautionary tale. Above all, it’s just another good reason to dance a sexy slow drag with the incredible poetry of Mr. Costello. Don't bring me down I'm trouble bound Blue song Red Alert Who made Stella Hurt? — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Stella Hurt” from 2008’s “Momofuku.” I feel as if I’ve broken my rule of simply admiring the words and not interpreting the piece, but “Stella Hurt” is just one of those rare pieces of literature, I suppose, that invites you into its world and encourages you to romp around in potential meanings just waiting to be explored. I’m certain there are many different ways you may have interpreted and/or appreciated this piece. Nevertheless, the biggest revelation for me, is how “who made Stella Hurt” is a much different question than I’d been thinking it was all these years now. As mentioned, “Momofuku” might have been an “instant” album, but very much like the blistering Wendy James’ “Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears,” it’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Other precious gems from “Momofuku” you’ll enjoy a slow drag with are episodes 7, “Let’s See How Brave You Are,” a slow drag with “No Hiding Place,” episode 35, “A Song in My Heart,” a slow drag with “Turpentine,” episode 48 “Erase Everything Rotten,” a slow drag with “Flutter and Wow,” and episode 70, “Gunslinger Swagger,” a slow drag with the absolutely fantastic “Go Away,” and episode 86, “A Fine Fixation,” that’s a slow drag with “Drum and Bone.” 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 follow the show on Spotify, Apple Music, and ad free on Amazon Music. The podcast is ad free on all these platforms. It’s a passion project, after all. So, please follow the show wherever you listen so you won’t miss an episode, and spread the word about this niche podcast to anyone you think might enjoy it as well. You can find me on social media by searching for my name, Remedy Robinson, or the name of my podcast, “Slow Drag with Remedy.” I’d love to hear your thoughts. Big news, or at least fun news. I’ve finally settled, at least for now, on the final title of my second book. “Congratulations Are in Order.” So, as I continue writing, “Congratulations Are in Order,” I’ve placed the audiobook version of my first novel, “The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday” on YouTube. Please follow the link provided if you’d like to listen for free. And when you do, please go to Amazon, buy the Kindle or paperback version, and leave it a five-star review. As well, if you or someone you know needs voice work in your podcast, ad, or any other sort of project that needs a sultry voiced American woman, please get in touch. I’d love to lend my voice to whatever you need. 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/slowdragwithremedy.com Email: [email protected] “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 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 |