Today’s slow drag is with “A Voice in the Dark,” from “National Ransom,” released in 2010. The songwriting is credited to Mr. Elvis Costello. Reminiscent of crooner ditties from the past, notably “Pennies from Heaven,” it’s a piece of unbridled wordplay and delight. Nothing is so serious that it can’t then be assailed with witty self-depreciation. In a few live versions of “A Voice in the Dark,” Mr. Costello begins with a Mel Tormé prelude: A long time ago, a million years BC The best things in life were absolutely free But no one appreciated a sky that was always blue And no one congratulated a moon that was always blue So, it was planned that it must vanish now and then And you must pay before you get them back again That’s what storms were made for and you shouldn’t be afraid for That upbeat, old fashion, and delighted crooning sets the scene well. You can read right through a book of matches But that won't make you smart You can laugh in the face of watches But time will only break your heart Just listen to the joy we are in for with this piece. Four lines in, with an a/b structure, conjuring the powers of both heart and mind. The futility of reading a book of matches and laughing in the face of adversity; we can do our best, but these circumstances always seem to win out, or will they? The wordplay in these first 4 lines would be enough for many other writers, but the talented Mr. Costello has so much more in store in the span of the next three minutes. Kings reign beneath umbrellas Hide pennies down in cellars And money pours down and yet Not everyone gets soaking wet With an aa/bb structure now, comes even more incredible wordplay. A king ruling under umbrellas, pretending to not benefit as pennies are squirreled away. The world is upside down. Another stunning four lines that have been strung together. Yet, there’s always hope: When bores and bullies conspire To stamp out your spark Listen for… a voice in the dark The juxtaposition of a faint light in the darkness is as sweet as it is harrowing. It’s hopeful and hopeless at the same time. The words are so pleasant, however, that we barely notice the potential for an adverse situation. Now with the scene well established, this master wordsmith ventures de eper into this whimsical mindscape: Not a moment too soon as we blue the moon And a wolf began to howl in tune I announced for all mankind / A boon Stand aside you big baboon Now I'm the a prize invention You're the image of yourself Forget your cares your disapproving stares I'm not here to try to jump your borders Just ask your nieces and daughters What a joyous collection of sounds. Moon/boon/baboon, cares/stares, borders/daughters; all these smooth fitting words envelope a rare introspection that comes through with charming optimism. It’s the sort of passage that is fun to linger on for moments at a time, hoping for clarity and not caring if it comes. I'm flat as sole, I'm happy as a clam But you don't know the kind of man I am Little fish swimming in a jealous shoal Now my net is overflowing And suddenly I seem to be all seeing and all knowing I got something right there You might want to hear I have no fear Lend a hand / Lend an ear If your rent-money is in arrears As promised, the story that started with a pun continues to rely on the pragmatics of language to create as many connections as possible within such a short span of time. The rhyme stays consistent throughout. The clever grouping of sole/clam/shoal together with how “my net is overflowing” defies sentimentality, regardless of how jubilant it is. In other words, it doesn’t seem to grind the teeth of his more ardent guilt and revenge fans, of which I count myself among. We don’t seem to balk at the remarkable altruism of this verse. It’s yet another verse that’s fun to linger over. We'll be striking up a symphony bandstand Long of hair and loose of tooth There'll be pirouettes and startling handstands But who but acrobats know how to tell the truth When all is said and then redundant They gallivant in peg-leg pants I‘ll be your servant / You'll be my pal and I'll be faithful you know I shall There's no fool like an old fool Who blames it all upon his youth When times are tough and you find you're down Without a star to wish upon Listen for… a voice in the dark Bandstand/handstands, tooth/truth, peg-leg pants/servant. Pirouettes and acrobats who are the only ones who know the truth. In this circus of big words, a gentle promise to be a faithful pal. When times are tough, listen for a voice in the dark. It’s unadulterated sweetness and joviality. Then of course, the clever motif of restating the thesis as he ties it all back to the beginning is sure to follow, and so it does. I was striking through a box of matches Hoping that one would spark I heard somebody calling to me A voice in the dark A sound both wild and gentle Daring and confidential I thought there was music playing But it was all and only talk The voice in the dark is both wild and gentle. What could possibly be more fulfilling? When liars and bullies conspire to stamp out spark Fill up that empty space in your heart Listen up as the herald says, "Hark" Believe in the voice in the dark Twice before, the refrain is to listen for the voice in the dark. In this last iteration, it’s touching to hear the directive to “believe” in the voice in the dark. This is told without a hint of sarcasm, or at least that’s how I interpret it. From top to bottom, this piece is silly, likeable, and buoyant. There are 368 words in the span of 3:34 that fit together naturally. The story that unfolds is an exercise in cheery self awareness. It’s been said a million times before and always worth repeating: one Elvis Costello song would be someone else’s five or six songs. No matter how dark the world can be, it’s still a wonderful place as long as we have Elvis Costello songs take a slow drag with. I am quick to point out that I have no musical prowess. It’s all about the words for me. Unless otherwise blatant, as one is sad and the other is happier, I couldn’t really tell you a minor key from a major key. The words of “A Voice in The Dark” are cheerful. But is the song set in a major or a minor key? I honestly don’t know. Interestingly, Mr. Costello very recently addressed his proclivity for the minor keys, and how he’s been dabbling in major keys as of late. That was from “Elvis Costello from Isolation” as part of Artists4NHS. It’s a 42 minute casual monologue that is a joy to listen to, especially around the 36 minute mark. — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “A Voice in the Dark” from 2010’s “National Ransom.” It’s the very definition of charm, of wit, of lighthearted whimsy wrapped in clever homophones, of homage paid to crooners of the past, sung by the ultimate crooner of our time. And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. I urge you to go back and listen to Episodes 16 and 17 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “I Might Recite a Small Prayer,” and “The Quickening Art.” It’s a slow drag with “Bedlam,” another gem from “National Ransom,” as well as a supplemental episode concerning the deep history of bedlam and the notion of music as the last memory of our lives. 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 |