Today’s slow drag is with “Alibi” from the 2002 “When I Was Cruel.” The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello.
Known for his skillful verbal gymnastics, yet “Alibi,” amazingly, relies on a version of a common idiom, as well as the power of small words, in this case, conjunctions. Prescripivists will tell you to never start a sentence with a conjunction. That’s why Prescripivists are a dying breed. At nearly seven minutes long, there seems to be a lot of repetition in “Alibi,” perhaps, considering the chorus is scattered six or so times throughout, depending on what you consider to be part of the chorus. The word “alibi” itself is strategically repeated 67 times. The more something is said, the less it is heard, they say, the more it becomes mere background noise. Perhaps this contributes to the genius of this piece. The idiom, “no ifs ands or buts,” has been around for centuries and means without reservation, without any sort of excuse. An alibi, on the other hand, from 17th century Latin meaning to prove you were somewhere else when something happened, is a story that needs to be given in order to clear yourself from doubt. True or not, an alibi is an excuse. So, already we have two competing notions to ponder: giving excuses and categorically not accepting accuses. But if I’ve done something wrong there’s no “ifs and buts” ‘Cause I love you just as much as I hate your guts This exact chorus wording is scattered four times throughout this piece. It is eloquent, jarring, and a bit juvenile in its brutal yet insightful honesty. Without the “or,” however, as in “no ifs ands or buts,” as the saying goes, the options are decidedly fewer. In the world of “Alibi,” you cannot simply love or hate something, you can only love and hate. Just before this first biting chorus, the scope of a person’s alibis are set down in the first two lines: And you did it 'cause you wanted… alibi And you took it, 'cause you need it… alibi Both wanting and needing an excuse. Maddening. So, let the conflict begin. Each subsequent chorus begins with the word “but,” while most verses either start with or contain the word “and.” Notice how each time there is an “and,” it seems to break down into an argument or some sort of contradiction quite quickly. For instance: And you don’t need anybody… (Nice, a bit accusatory though, so here comes the u-turn) BUT you are the only one that knows this (and then just a bit of contempt thrown in for good measure) You deserve it, 'cause you're special… Maybe Jesus wants you for a sunbeam… A slight rewording of that last line about a sunbeam can be heard on Wendy James’s song “Earthbound,” from the 1993 Elvis Costello penned “Now Ain’t the time for Your Tears,” (of which the EC sung demo is known as “The Gwendolyn Letters”). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQieshbrzpI It’s charming how little phrases like this find themselves in different places every so often, with faintly different meanings scattered throughout his pantheon of expressions. In “Earthbound,” the line is “Jesus probably wants you for a sunbeam.” I think this line can be traced to the earnest children’s song entitled, “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam.” So, this phrase has gone from a seemingly optimistic, but really quite chilling religious children’s song, then transformed into conjecture about what your higher purpose “probably” is, and has finally drifted down to earth a bit as a simple shrug of “maybe Jesus wants you for a sunbeam.” “Jesus wants me... Jesus probably wants you...” And now, “Maybe Jesus wants you...” In all three versions, the fact that you’re special remains the driving force. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM5nAF5g-c4 But if I’ve left something out, I apologize. This is a line that cannot be trusted. “If.” What a funny little word. Can any apology that’s given with the qualifier of “if” still count as an apology? But if you look in my eyes then I’m sure you’ll see… Alibis When prompted to make eye contact, to “look” someone in the eye, its usual purpose is to confirm truth; something about liars not being able to look you in the eye. Even though I’ve had liars nearly burn holes in my retina professing the truth. But in this case, maybe the exercise is to see the excuses that one has manufactured, or is simply a failing of sincerity. “Insane,” what a mundane alibi Note that “insane” is in quotes, suggesting that claiming to be crazy is a really dull excuse, when there are so many other better ones to choose from. Let’s detail some these excuses from “Alibi,” splitting them into the little words that they start with: And you only wanted to be famous And you’re such a people person And I will be true to you forever You were happy, you were poor And more honest and that's your alibi Now for some buts: But you never had a pony But you're stupid and you're lazy Acerbic. Vintage. Just the sort of excuses that we take pleasure in hearing. Other alibis that are biting, feeble, and maybe even a bit oblique You were weak, you couldn't help it Sorry, but your mommy doesn't love you Great excuses, to be sure; I can imagine each being unfurled for any number of occasions. In addition to the two choruses: But if I’ve done something wrong there’s no “ifs and buts” ‘Cause I love you just as much as I hate your guts And But if I’ve left something out, I apologize. But if you look in my eyes then I’m sure you’ll see… Alibis …There’s a third thrown in, combining two of the small words, “but” and “if” that have informed this entire piece, then adds an edict to chew over: But if I’ve done something right then don’t be surprised. There are soldiers who will kill but refuse to die. Not doing something “wrong,” but doing something “right.” This is a great negation device used in other songs, notably “London’s Brilliant Parade,” and “Joe Porterhouse,” that keeps us on our toes and prevents the words from being taken for granted. As for soldiers who refuse to die, it reminds me of a soldier I met on a bus once. He mentioned how one of the first questions he was asked in boot camp was if he and his fellow recruits were prepared to die for their country. Most everyone said enthusiastically “yes, sir.” Yes, they were willing die for their country. The drill sergeant punished them for this answer. “Your objective,” he said, “is not to die for your country. It is to kill for your country.” This retelling of the event seemed to rattle the soldier. Doing the right thing and killing seem incongruous at best. As for the line in the song itself? Frankly, I haven’t a clue what it means, which, is just fine by me. I don’t claim to have the answers. Remember, this is an appreciation, not an explanation. To know the answer is to diminish the impact, in my opinion. It’s just fun to let our imaginations run rampant. “Alibi,” is gritty, accusatory, insincere, contradictory. It’s an exploration of the power of conjunctions and how they bend to the will of meaning. Knowledge, so says School House Rock, is power: Conjunction Junction. What’s your function? “Hooking up phrases and clauses that balance.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPoBE-E8VOc “Alibi” is a great lesson for writers and poets alike; sometimes you don’t have to use big or obscure words in order to be profound, to get your point across, to create a scathing world that spotlights everyday lies and excuses. And, of course, there’s a nice little reminder of the belter “Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears,” and how small tweaks of language can create different mindscapes that fracture into a prism of many meanings and intentions. — Dig it. Again, this has been a slow drag with 2002’s “Alibi,” from “When I was Cruel,” an album that would go on to be a turning point, but I did promise to leave deeper and more personal interpretations to others, now didn’t I? Thank you very much for finding this podcast appreciation of Elvis Costello’s poetry and for listening all the way to the end. So, until next time, Adieu, my little ballyhoo.
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Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson Twitter: @slowdragremedy Email: [email protected] Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag ---------------------- References: The Gwendolyn Letters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQieshbrzpI 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 |