Today’s slow drag is with “Brilliant Mistake,” from “King of America,” released in 1986. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello’s birth name. It’s a sweeping indictment of it, he and I, all in the span of 245 words, many of them repeated in a strategic manner. Could we call the title an oxymoron? Perhaps, but it seems a bit limiting, doesn’t it? Personally, when I think about a slow drag with this dazzling piece, I think of the famous Stanford Marshmallow experiment, the one on delayed gratification, and how waiting this long to devote an episode to “Brilliant Mistake” was my very own act of stellar self control. He thought he was the King of America Where they pour Coca Cola just like vintage wine Now I try hard not to become hysterical But I'm not sure if I am laughing or crying Here’s another piece by Elvis Costello that incorporates a keen observation, one that stops short of making a blatant judgement. Mind you, that is if the King of America has crowned himself, which as an American, I assume by default he has, and isn’t a pejorative assessment made by the narrator. It’s easy to insert Elvis Presley into this role if you must, but feel that would be doing a disservice to this rather shell-shocked glimpse of the big crumbling monolith found in our vast land. The narrator is moved, but in what direction? The truly tenuous rhyme of America/hysterical and wine/crying provides a calming effect as it takes us through the prologue to this story. And, not for nothing, but I did once see Mr. Costello with a diet coke in his hand. It’s difficult enough for me to think of his as mortal, let alone drinking a diet coke out of the can, no less. I wish that I could push a button And talk in the past and not the present tense And watch this hurtin' feeling disappear Like it was common sense It was a fine idea at the time Now it's a brilliant mistake The sound of these words is fanciful, yet the subtext is rather cogent, something we can all relate to. Hoping for the time and space beyond our own follies. It’s as obvious as saying time heals all wounds, but not in a way that patronizes. It is absolutely the advice we’re able to dispense freely, but cannot find the common sense to cure ourselves. Note the “hurting” feeling and how “it” was a fine idea, but that “it” is now a brilliant mistake. This will come around again, to be sure, in the most Elvis Costello way possible. She said that she was working for the ABC News It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use Her perfume was unspeakable It lingered in the air Like her artificial laughter and mementos of affairs The first verse was focused on “he.” Now this verse featured a “she.” It might be safe to say that the keen power of observation may have spilled into the realm of judgement of this woman. Unlike the possibly self-proclaimed king of America, no one would openly avow how much of the alphabet they weren’t able to use. As I continue to point out, Mr. Costello portrays his female characters with respect and empathy. Rarely is a woman there for idle objectification. Not even the party girl. That said, these seemingly unkind details seem pointed, as if they have been earned and not just simply observed. In concert, Mr. Costello once changed ABC to MTV. This was before I saw him with a diet coke in his hand. "Oh" I said "I see you know him" "Isn't that very fortunate for you" And she showed me his calling card He came third or fourth and there were more than one or two He was a fine idea at the time Now he's a brilliant mistake Indulging herself further by dropping names and the feigned interest the narrator shows is one of those quips that might escape us, leaving us to wish we’d thought of it at the time. “he came third or fourth and there were more than one or two” is a line that never dies, that I never get tired of hearing. It seems to make sense, but then it shifts into another stratosphere of complication. Notice the change in pronoun, “it” in the first verse has gone to “he” and now “he’s” a brilliant mistake. Is the narrator and the reporter speaking of the aforementioned King of America? Anything is possible. The calling card man might not be the man in question. There are as many people in the piece as you wish there to be. He thought he was the King of America But it was just a boulevard of broken dreams A trick they do with mirrors and with chemicals The words of love in whispers And the acts of love in screams The mention of a “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” can be a nod to Tom Waits’ 1975 album, or it very well could be referring to the 1984 adaptation of Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting, “Nighthawks.” This in itself would help to paint a picture of its own at the same time bringing back into question whether it really is a reference to “the king,” Elvis Presley, or not. I say it’s a circular sort of argument. That he was the King of Rock’n’roll, not America. Yes, he’s in the picture, but so is Humphrey Bogart and James Dean. That’s part of this piece’s enduring charm, in my opinion. Given how this was written in the 1980s, the mirrors and chemicals sound like late night adventures fueled by illicit drugs, but that seems too easy for an Elvis Costello piece. There has to more. Cinema, perhaps? It’s all smoke and mirrors. What a fantastic emotion picture of where words are whispered, acts are screamed. I wish that I could push a button And talk in the past and not the present tense And watch this lovin' feeling disappear Like it was common sense I was a fine idea at the time Now I'm a brilliant mistake In this, the final verse, the same desire is asserted: wanting to speak in the past, to create space and distance. This time, as compared with the hurting feeling that disappeared in the first verse, it is a feeling of love that disappears like it was common sense. The power and opposition of each of these lines create an electrical spark. There are a total of three verses to this ballad, of which many of the same lines are reused. Only “it” was a fine idea, “he” was a fine idea, and now “I” was a fine idea. All in the past tense. This goes along well with the vicissitudes of hurting and loving. The superlatives I’d use to describe how ingenious this is might sound a bit hyperbolic, and still not adequately express how complete this piece feels. I was a fine idea at the time Now I'm a brilliant mistake — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Brilliant Mistake” from 1986’s “King of America.” There is something overpowering yet soothing about this piece. As the introduction to the entire album of songs that can be described thusly, it set the tone for how I and so many other ardent fans listen to his work: we listen to it on repeat. Recently, a few Twitter users have ranked their favorite Elvis Costello albums. It isn’t a surprise that “King of America” ranks at the top of most of them. And while I could never compile such a list personally, I sure do have a soft spot for this album and for this lovely song. And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. I encourage you to re-listen to Episode 4 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “The Hangover This Morning,” a slow drag with “The Big Light,” Episode 33, “Friends Think of Her Fondly,” a slow drag with “Our Little Angel,” and episode 43, “It’s Better to Confess,” a slow drag with “Glitter Gulch.” All three of these episodes are slow drags with more gems from “King of America.” So, until next time, adieu, my little ballyhoo.
Show Notes:
---------------------- Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA Twitter: https://twitter.com/slowdragremedy Email: [email protected] Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag ---------------------- References: Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, “Brilliant Mistake”: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Brilliant_Mistake “Brilliant Mistake”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfICbSL6Vm0 “The Marshmallow Test”, why rich kids are so good at it: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/06/marshmallow-test/561779/ The Marshmallow Test on Patience: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/6/17413000/marshmallow-test-replication-mischel-psychology Episode 4 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “The Hangover This Morning,” a slow drag with “The Big Light”: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/slowdragwithremedy/id/11158313 Episode 33 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “Friends Think of Her Fondly,” a slow drag with “Our Little Angel”: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/slowdragwithremedy/id/13256063 Episode 43 of “Slow Drag with Remedy,” “It’s Better to Confess,” a slow drag with “Glitter Gulch”: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/slowdragwithremedy/id/14551127 Comments are closed.
|
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 |