Today’s slow drag is with “Miss Macbeth,” from “Spike,” released in 1989. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello’s birth name. In a similar vein to “Look Now’s” “Under Lime” as a continuation of “National Ransom’s,” “Jimmie Standing in the Rain,” “Miss Macbeth” could very easily be thought of as an unnamed tenant who resided in “Blood and Chocolate’s” building just below the Macintosh man in the cinematic “Battered Old Bird.” Smart, cutting, and riddled with clever allusions, references, and truisms, “Miss Macbeth” is a master’s thesis masquerading as a rock’n’roll deep cut. All the children testified that Miss Macbeth had a fishbone slide in her cobweb tresses Her eyes were black as first foot coal, clutched as white as chalk-dust Her fingers sweated India-ink and poison-pen letters There is a hungry hanging tree just below your bedroom window You can hear her take a broom to beat out a tattoo on the ceiling Her bloodless face ran red inside but was she really evil, was she only pantomime? Intriguing to be sure, alluring, poetic, and dense with more references than you can hold in both hands, this first verse doesn’t rely on overt rhyme scheme or convention. Instead, it jams tradition with rumor with portraiture with ultimate uncertainty. As always, Mr. Costello sets down the chilling observation and leaves the judgments to others. The modern definition of a fishbone slide seems to have been overtaken by PowerPoint style slides that use a fishbone diagram to represent cause and effect. Earlier definitions more in line with Miss Macbeth’s hair piece is a curved structure that helps place a Fresh-style braid down the back of your head. Now made of plastic, it’s reasonable to assume there’s a smelly fish carcass being put to good use in her “Cobweb tresses.” Speaking of cobweb tresses, are there two words that have more pin point accuracy? All the children knew the old crazy-wild-white-haired lady who routinely held on to dead fish bones as a fashion accessory. All that, just from the first line. With the second line, it isn’t enough to merely convey that Miss Macbeth’s has dark eyes, they have to have a specific look. Not only does the title of this piece conjure Shakespeare’s Scottish play, but Mr. Costello casually mentions “first foot coal,” which is a part of a Scottish new year eve’s tradition known as Hogmanay (hog meh nay). As a ritual for a house’s good luck, the first foot across its threshold at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, as the superstition goes, should be that of a dark-haired man. This dark-haired man should bring with him “a wee dram of whisky,” salt, shortbread, and of course, a few symbolic pieces of coal, hence “first foot coal.” The specification of a dark haired man is thought to be a throwback to Viking days, when the most unlucky first foot would have been that of a red-headed woman, for surely she should be followed by an angry blond Viking man. So, Miss Macbeth’s eyes were as black as first foot coal, yet clutched as white as chalk dust. Chalk dust is loose and scattered, so this entire vision is clear yet still left up to interpretation. Genius. And still, we’re only two lines in. Lines 3 and 5 of this first verse collide nicely, with the mention of India ink, the once preferred ink in tattoo parlors and elsewhere, just before the broom beats out a tattoo on the ceiling. Her fingers drip poison pen letters; it seems she can’t help but anonymously troll the world. The hanging tree just below your window seems to be strategically placed or a useful everyday object that has turned sinister. And as for her bloodless face that runs red? Contradictory, yet wholly understandable and vivid. And, of course, the final utterance of this verse puts the entire proceedings into question. It seemed so straight forward until the question of whether all of this is just pantomime, is just an exaggerated stage play, takes the fangs out of the above-mentioned frightful description. All this set out in 6 lines. All this summed up in 61 exquisite words. Now the chalk on the wall says that somebody saves That somebody's face has just been washed off the pavement Into a puzzle where petrol will be poisoned by rain Miss Macbeth saw her reflection as confetti bled its colors down the drain Those beautiful yet destructive rainbow swirls in gutter puddles that will fill sewers and flow into lakes with toxins seems to be born of all the wonderfully implied violence in this verse. The mischievous use of the same substance we use to draw hopscotch lines with has now been used to write on the outside walls near where caricatures on the ground have been draw during what could very well be a new year eve’s celebration. The colorless confetti now mirrors her bloodless face; this is such a lovely touch. All this because curious children tease curious old women. It’s a natural and combative combination that we all seem to understand well. And every day she lives out another love song It's a tearful lament of somebody done wrong But how can you miss what you've never possessed, Miss Macbeth? To live out a love song daily could probably only be the sort of sad love song that we all love; the hopeful beginning, the lamentable end. But, as questioned above, is this merely theater, for certainly this is yet another fictional part she is playing. Well we all should have known when the children paraded They portrayed her in their fairytales, sprinkling Deadly Nightshade And as they tormented her, she rose to the bait Even a scapegoat must have someone to hate When consumed by horses, sheep, and goats, deadly nightshade, also known by the equally lovely name Belladonna, is harmless. However, ingesting as little as two to four berries can be lethal for children. In Act 1, Scene 7 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth expresses an indifference to children in order to shame Macbeth for doubting her murderous plot: “I have given suck, and know how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done to (to kill the king).” Lady Macbeth’s infanticidal assertion could very well be hyperbole, mere hypothetical, still the arbitrary nature of this passage lingers over the rest of the play. Our Miss Macbeth, on the other hand, might have been pushed too far. As the man says, “even a scapegoat must have someone to hate.” And every day she lives out another love song "You're up there enjoying yourself, but I know it's wrong" But how can you miss what you've never possessed, Miss Macbeth? Miss Macbeth This time the tearful lament turns to a rebuke, “you’re up there enjoying yourself, but I know it’s wrong” is put in quotes, presumably uttered by Miss Macbeth as she beats on the ceiling with her broom. But still, the retort is the same: how can you miss what you’ve never possessed? Love? Children? A Co-conspirator? There is so much we still don’t know but can guess about this main character. Sometimes people are just what they appear to be With no redemption at all We try to walk upright when we can't even crawl I simply adore these lines for their truth and for their ambiguity. It’s both as plain as the nose on your face and as ethereal as a shadow creeping in the night. To settle on who has no redemption, who might be a slithering snake, seems nearly beside the point. There’s enough blame to go around for everyone. “Sometimes people are just what they appear to be.” No excuses, no explanations. Importantly, no forgiveness. Miss Macbeth has a golliwog she chucks under the chin And she whispers to it tenderly, then sticks it on a pin And it might be coincidence, but a boy down the lane That she said "went white as he could do," then doubled over in pain Ok. Hands up, and be honest, how many of us thought a golliwog was something like a tadpole, you know, a different way to say polliwog perhaps? Well, in truth, it’s a rather inflammatory type doll that “Europeans have debated whether” it is a “is a lovable icon or racist symbol” for decades now. Woof, I don’t feel comfortable exploring this further, but have linked the article I’ve quoted in the show notes if you are interested. To “chuck under the chin” sounds rough, but is an idiom that means to touch or stroke someone affectionately under the chin. Stroking the golliwog then piercing it of course sounds ritualistic, like a voodoo doll of sorts, as if it’s the culmination of the scapegoat rising to the bait. The boy’s own face becomes as bloodless as Miss Macbeth’s was said to have been. Maybe this is a good example of you can’t know someone until you feel their pain. In addition to these twisted, entertaining, and outrageous lines, the 2001 Rhino disc release of “Spike” uncovered an alternate first verse. Miss Macbeth has a frightened face that all the children know She must have been something else a long time ago You can’t look her in the eye or else your face will crack She talks to statues on the shelf, although they never answer back — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Miss Macbeth” from 1989’s “Spike.” Lordy, the references and images in this piece rattled off in fewer than 300 words. Touchy subjects, old traditions, murderous plots, celebrations, and retaliation. First foot coal and golliwogs. I’d like to say “who knew?” but just because I didn’t know doesn’t mean the rest of you didn’t. However, I have to admit it’s simply staggering to find this out more than 30 years later. I’m giddy and horrified all at once. According to the “Spike” liner notes, the album was slated to be entitled, “Pantomime Evil” in honor of Mr. Costello’s “childhood nemesis, Miss Macbeth.” But after the acerbic “Tramp the Dirt Down,” was finished, he said, the title felt “too grim.” We know that Mr. Costello was the tenet’s boy who was taught to swear in French, so I think I’m going to go ahead and stick with my beginning assumption that “Miss Macbeth” is a continuation, if not a proper sequel, to “Battered Old Bird.” From top to bottom, what a remarkable piece. And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. I encourage you to re-listen to Episode 10 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “A Terrible Crime,” a slow drag with “Let Him Dangle,” and Episode 55, “A Little Amused,” a slow drag with “…This Town....” Both episodes are slow drags with more gems from “Spike.” 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 |