The English language has a wonderful defiance about it. It’s always contracting and expanding. “How did it come about” and “for good and all” were no match for the ungrammatical yet natural sounding “how come?” and “for good.” Idiomatic pairs, such as “safe and sound” and “first and foremost,” on the other hand, show no sign of uncoupling. And what happens when there’s a word we thought we knew, but quite unexpectedly found out it has a deeper meaning? It’d be like finding out your spouse has a couple of secret marriages they forgot to tell you about. Isn’t the “singular they” the best rule break of all? My name is Remedy. And this is an appreciation. This is an exploration of linguists, language, and obscure references, as framed by the peerless poetry of the modern day master, Elvis Costello. --- Dig it Today’s slow drag is with “Bedlam,” from “The Delivery Man” released in 2004. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. Strap in for this one. These lines are truly dense, inspired, ethereal, and eye opening. They are the words to a hard-driving song that I’ve heard countless times, yet still had no idea how much depth there was right there in front of me. For all I’ve learned in researching the episode, there remains an equal amount of mystery. I've got this phosphorescent portrait of gentle Jesus meek and mild I've got this harlot that I'm stuck with carrying another man's child The solitary star announcing vacancy burned out as we arrived They'd throw us back across the border if they knew that we survived What starts with a computer desktop photo of Jesus seems to turn into a modern day telling of the nativity story. It’s not blasphemy that way, I suppose. These four lines are exceptionally long and feature tidy ending rhymes, mild/child, arrived/survived, but the internal imagery and sounds create a cacophony of hissing and initial intrigue. This verse continues: And they were surprised to see us So they greeted us with palms They asked for ammunition, acts of contrition, and small alms They were surprised. Boy, it’s easy to insert a more comprehensible, “weren’t.” But if they were unexpected as line goes, then a safe guess is that the palms they were greeted with were those of outstretched hands, waiting for what had been asked for: an unspecified form of ammunition (rock? Arrow? Bullet? Gossip?), religious apologies, and an act of sharing the wealth. And I might recite a small prayer If I ever said them I lay down on an iron frame And found myself in bedlam The metaphor of a frame and a bed jumps out clearly in this chorus. Note the word, “bedlam.” Generally thought of as chaos, commotion, or even a bit of pandemonium, but that’s just the beginning. Or rather, that’s just the evolution of the word and its meaning. First, the chorus is repeated three times in this piece; it starts and ends the same each time, yet there is a unique line or lines added to each section. Here’s the unique line and the repeated last line of the first mention of the chorus: I wish that I could take something for drowning out the noise Wailing echoes down the corridors The unusual syntax of taking something for, rather than taking something to, drown out the noise, is enough to make you linger over the line enough to pay it greater attention. Now, there are two places in this episode where I will kindly ask the forgiveness of UK listeners and anyone in the know for what I’ve recently discovered. The first one: Bethlehem, site of the nativity and the commonly agreed upon birthplace of Jesus, as mentioned in the first verse. Bethlehem is also the name of a 13th century London hospital for paupers. Plagued with money and other issues from the very beginning, the institution did not have the most stellar reputation. The name soon shortened colloquially to “Bethem,” which, thanks in part to the schwa, saw a change in pronunciation to bedlam. Bedlam is known today as a mental institution. Given this definition of “Bedlam,” the “wailing echoes down the corridors,” comes into sharper focus and is chilling. In one verse and one chorus, Mr. Costello has evoked both the birth of Jesus and a London hospital that gave us a common word for an uproar. There is more religion and madness to come in this saga. I've got this imaginary radio, and I'm punching up the dial I've got the AC trained on the TV so it won't blow up in my eye And everything I thought fanciful and mocked as too extreme Must be family entertainment here in the strange land of my dreams Here we have another four long lines loaded with tremendous imagery. There’s a nice balance between the rational and the irrational. Then, the observation about what was thought too fanciful in the “strange land” of “dreams” calls back to the Bedlam hospital. Or at least that’s one interpretation. And I'm practicing my likeness of St. Francis of Assisi And if I hold my hand outstretched A little bird comes to me This is a beautiful image, to be sure, but it’s also slightly sinister, or at least I hope it is. St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of Animals and Ecology, canonized in 1228. The current Pope took his name after the white smoke rose in 2013. And I might recite a small prayer If I ever said them I lay down on an iron frame And found myself in bedlam So again, here’s the beginning of the second chorus, same as the first, just before it adds more texture. Escaping from the fingers that were stretching through the bars Wailing echoes down the corridors Here is where the image of the Bedlam hospital and all its abuses and outbursts once again take over the narrative. The player piano picks out "Life Goes On" The ring tone rang out "Jerusalem" Into the pit of sadness Where the wretched plunge We've buried all the innocents Now we must bury revenge Note that this is a verse, yet it’s structured like a chorus. Brilliant. From the band Poison, to Tupac Shakur, to the Damned, it seems everyone except for Elvis Costello himself has a song entitled, “Life Goes On,” so I’ve chosen to focus on The Kinks’ 1977 version as the possible reference for two reasons: The first two lines, “a friend of mine just had a real bad time / you see, his life was shattered and he lost his mind,” seems quite fitting to this subject matter. And, I’m always up for mentioning the 1991 version of The Kink’s 1969 song “Days,” for the “Until the End of the World” soundtrack. I know I am biased, but I’ve yet to hear a song Elvis Costello has covered that isn’t a superior product to even a very good original. The song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and the entire “Almost Blue” album spring to mind. Ok, now for “Jerusalem.” My apologies again for the second UK-specific definition that I had no idea about. “Jerusalem,” the unofficial yet popular anthem, is a poem written by William Blake that has been set to music. It’s described as “strident” and “vivid,” and is said to be more familiar to the nation’s athletes than “God Save the Queen.” One striking line stands out: “and was Jerusalem builded here / among those dark satanic mills?” Bringing it back to the verse itself, the word “revenge,” though reportedly fueled by it, this is one of the few instances the word itself is used in any of Mr. Costello’s songs. In fact, I’m coming up blank, so if you can name an Elvis Costello song with the word, “revenge” in it, please let me know. They've got this scared and decorated girl strapped to the steel trunk of a Mustang They drove her down a cypress grove where traitors hang and stars still spangle They dangled flags and other rags along a colored thread of twine They dragged that bruised and purple heart along the road to Palestine As with the first two verses, this verse sports four exceptionally long lines. The imagery once again overpowers any sort of end rhyme. A description of spangled stars connotes the American flag, yet the mention of a Cypress grove conjures the southeastern part of the United States. It is possible, therefore, that the “dangled flags and other rags” represent the odious Confederate flag. That part of the world, I say as an American who’s been there, is exactly the sort of place you might see any number of unusual items strapped to the trunk of a Mustang. Moreover, the use of the words “traitors hang” alongside “colored thread” is provocative at the very minimum. The line, “the road to Palestine” brings us back to the first allusion to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Also referred to as Highway 60, if I’m reading this correctly, the road leads to Nazareth. Jesus, as we know, is also known as Jesus of Nazareth. Someone went off muttering, mentioned thirty pieces Easter saw a slaughtering, each wrapped in bloodstained fleeces my thoughts returned to vengeance, but I put up no resistance Though I seemed a long way from my home, it really was no distance The mention of both the nativity and Easter squares the circle nicely. Another lengthy four line verse. I marvel at the consistency of the structure of verses, and the liberties taken with the chorus. Pieces/fleeces, resistance/distance: the rhymes stay true to the scheme and to the meaning, while creating a firestorm inside and in between the lines. And I might recite a small prayer If I ever said them I lay down on an iron frame And found myself in bedlam Familiar chorus that a lesser poet would be content to wrap an entire song around, yet here’s more value added, this time instead of one line, there are three: Bowing like an actor acknowledging applause Playing the Crusader who was conquering the Moors When he knew the consequences, but he won't accept the cause Wailing echoes down the corridors Applause, Moors, and corridors. Crusader, consequences, cause, and echoes. These words and rhymes are exceptional; the imagery is that of a Bedlam resident’s, perhaps, starring in their own production. Compared with the 343 words of Led Zeppelin’s loquacious 8 minute song “Stairway to Heaven,” “Bedlam” At 4:48, has 403 words, and while some are repeated in the chorus, there are 60 more words belted out in two fewer minutes. Staggering. “Bedlam” is a highly skilled tangle of biblical and English history, of mad and irrational imagery; it’s a sheer symphony of linguistic prowess and poetic acuity. -- Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Bedlam” from 2004’s “The Delivery Man.” My golly, these lines are a barnburner; it’s an absolute work of true genius. Paralleling the nativity with a mental hospital challenges the listener to keep each reference straight. The words of each verse create an imagery cyclone that is easy to get swept up in. The structure is restrained, chaotic, and informational. In particular, the meaning behind the unofficial, popular anthem, “Jerusalem,” as well as they etymology of “Bedlam” have enriched my understanding of the song, of the word, and English culture in general. As with everything, of course, there’s always more to learn. Our Twitter friend Jake has given us more detail. “Jerusalem” he said, is recognized “in the same way as “Flower of Scotland,” and “Land of My Fathers.” I can only apologize for being an American so much as I promised to explore these two songs further, but appreciate how he reels off these titles as if I already know them. As for “Bedlam,” he provides a bit local color to the term: <recording> Bedlam was London’s asylum, but pretty much every local town had their own. Mine was called Roffy Park, so everyone that was a lunatic was called a “Roffy.” There is so much more to this episode that I’d hoped to cover here, but have decided that the additional information is important enough to extend to a related supplemental episode, as it covers the scope of music and the role Elvis Costello’s beautiful voice, gorgeous words, and lush instrumentation plays in the world of enjoyment and good memories. Please look for that episode soon. It will be entitled, “The Quickening Art.” Much thanks to Jake in Notts for his British insight. You can find more information about our dear Jake in the show notes. Thank you very much for finding this appreciation, this exploration of linguists, of language, and obscure references, all framed by the peerless poetry of the modern day master, Elvis Costello.
Show Notes:
---------------------- Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Twitter: https://twitter.com/slowdragremedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_drag_with_remedy/ Email: [email protected] Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag ---------------------- References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Bedlam “Bedlam” etymology: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/disability-history/1050-1485/from-bethlehem-to-bedlam/ How Bedlam became “a palace for lunatics” http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20161213-how-bedlam-became-a-palace-for-lunatics St. Francis of Assisi: https://www.earthday.org/2016/10/06/patron-saint-animals-ecology/ 1977 “Life Goes On” The Kinks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7eg30GvV9E Elvis Costello 1991 version of The Kink’s 1969 “Days” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmivtDdL-Fo Britain’s favorite song, “Jerusalem” https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5980126/jerusalem-lyrics-national-anthem-england-hymn-meaning/ “Jerusalem” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoJqhoBUT14 “Jerusalem” version w/ William Blake’s lyrics subtitled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKRHWT6xdEU Thirty pieces of silver: http://www.theology-centre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Thirty_pieces_of_silver.pdf Jake in Notts twitter: @jake_in_notts So, until next time, Adieu, my little ballyhoo 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 |