Catching part of a conversation as you wait in a train terminal, or as you sit at a table in a crowded restaurant, or stand in line at the grocery store; there are some words written by Elvis Costello that I find so pleasing for the very fact there is something I know I’m missing, that there is some sort of relevant information that might bring the piece into sharper relief if I were to know it.
If the genius himself were standing behind me in line, hand to god, there are no questions about meaning I’d be tempted to turn around and ask him about. Whoever said poetry, or any sort of artistry for that matter, HAD to be “about” something? Literal and figurative, simile and metaphor, words placed in a pleasing manner that just so happen to challenge our curiosity is part of what keeps the images and stories alive. Yes, yes. The music, the voice: I simply couldn’t live without them. But it’s the words; eloquent, tender, and opaque, that I love the most. I love the puzzle pieces that his words connect but don’t always seem to fit together well. This is an appreciation of the peerless poet and modern day master, Elvis Costello. Thank you for listening. Please, subscribe and tell your friends. ---- Today’s slow drag is with “Joe Porterhouse,” from “Goodbye Cruel World,” released in 1984. The songwriting credit goes to Elvis Costello and Elvis Costello alone, as do all of the songs we’ll do a slow drag with until we run out. Past this one stipulation, I don’t have a scientific answer to how I choose which incredible words to slow drag with each episode. Newer is a priority, but what comes into my head at a particular moment takes precedence. This week, a close second to “Joe Porterhouse” was “Under Lime,” from Elvis Costello’s latest album, “Look Now,” released in 2018. It’s a spectacular song. But it’s still a tiger whose tail I haven’t quite captured yet. What a fun pastime trying though. The metaphor laced first verse: “it’s a long way down from the high horse you’re on, when you stumble and then you’re thrown,” is worth a strong recommendation. “Joe Porterhouse,” is a familiar yet inscrutable piece with all the compelling elements we’ve grown accustomed to: beautiful imagery, a story we’re not quite sure about, and words that can break your heart without even lifting a finger. The poetic structure of this work alone is endearing. It features a rueful “Oh, no” throughout, and has a prominent chorus with five verses that all end with the same lovely refrain, “don’t let them see you crying, oh no.” The children sit upon the stairs High above a valley of tears Don't let them see you crying that way, oh no One of the main tenets of Noam Chomsky’s controversial “Universal Grammar” theory is recursion. Recursion is the practice of embedding phrases and clauses within phrases and clauses within... It’s not a theory I necessarily ascribe to. Chomsky’s silly definition of recursion has nothing on Elvis Costello’s ability to embed meaning into meaning into meaning. Searching for “valley of tears,” I learned that, among other things, it’s a Fats Domino song, co-written by Dave Bartholomew, whom we will come back to later, of which Buddy Holly covered five years later. I had no idea. “Everyone understands me – in the valley of tears.” Is the line that ends both verses of this short song. All of this is embedded in Joe Porterhouse, doubling the poignancy. Oh no, Joe Porterhouse he’s not gone forever He'll be back another day Don't let them see you crying that way Whose to say if there was ever a real Joe Porterhouse is, but his pugilistic name seems appropriately mythical in nature, especially when positioned next to the chorus. The imagery in this chorus is beautiful, pleading, and, not surprisingly, baffling. It’s long, but I don’t want to interrupt it: Please don't wake him let him sleep It's a moment she can keep Like an old bus ticket or a photograph Resting on the mantle piece While for the wicked, there is no peace She says it's not his time to go Why we were nearly lovers years ago Now what is left for me Among the broken branches of the family tree Those little mementos; sentimental reminders coded with singular and maybe even sly meaning, hidden in plain sight. The lament, the longing, the confounding. Again: Now what is left for me Among the broken branches of the family tree Even if somewhat obscured, there are very few clues Joe Porterhouse is a family member of sorts, we nevertheless understand the rhetorical question of how to go on from a difficult situation. The brilliant imagery continues: Heart like an anchor, arms like cable He stood all alone on an iron turntable And again, the lovely refrain: Don't let them see you crying that way, oh no Iron turntable; in addition to pleasing slant rhyme (iron/turn), it conjures an image of a music box for me, only it’s Joe Porterhouse spinning while the music plays. A heart like an anchor, arms like cable Is one of sweetest and most enduring lines. A heavy heart, a tight hug. A simple act of kindness and how it can turn into a burden. The next verse contains a delicate dual meaning, a figurative meaning with a literal one with sinister undertones. The sun beats down, it's cracking the flags Boys who should know mercy are stepping out (cigarettes) Don't let them see you laughing that way Another eggcorn, another misheard word. I thought it was “stepping” out cigarettes, not “stamping” as the written lyrics from the Elvis Costello wiki has it. In my version, the image of goose-stepping and how even soldiers should keep a level head, in the face of insanity, is both vivid and chilling. Please note: while I have changed a highly charged word in this passage, I don’t believe it is meant to be offensive, merely provocative. Simply put, it’s British slang. Notice the negation. “Don’t let them see you crying that way” has shifted to “don’t let them see you laughing that way.” In addition to the beautiful rhyme, the placating suggestion to dry tears becomes a gentle but stern warning to not show cruelty. Brilliant. Oh no, Joe Porterhouse he’s not gone forever He'll be back another day Don't let them see you crying that way ---- Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag through “Joe Porterhouse” from 1984’s “Goodbye Cruel World.” It’s a recursive piece that is self aware and complicated. It’s a layered piece that invites the listener to stay at the surface or dive deeper. Whichever you choose, the result is a satisfying use of sound, repetition, and imagery. The compassion, the consolation, and the sense of loss all rise like embers to spark memories that he could have never guessed we have, yet somehow nails. Thank you so very much for finding this appreciation of Elvis Costello’s poetry, and for listening all the way to the end. This truly is a passion project that I am thrilled to share with you. I’ve really enjoyed this, and hope you have too. Please check the show notes for links to the actual song, as well as links to references made in this episode. There is also the companion blog with other references for your convenience. If you like this, please subscribe and share. Get in contact with comments, suggestions, or stories of your own. I’d love to hear them. So, until next time, Adieu, my little ballyhoo.
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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 ---------------------- “Under Lime”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMKkQtH75R8 Catch a tiger by the tail meaning: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/catch+a+tiger+by+the+tail Universal Grammar: https://www.quora.com/What-does-Noam-Chomsky-mean-by-recursion “Valley of Tears” Buddy Holly Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdBoFm2SihI Music Boxes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Od_5VIiRVg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uHSIkHW860 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 |