Today’s slow drag is with “Go Away,” from “Momofuku,” released in 2008. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello. Japanese for “lucky peach,” and named after the famous instant noodle restaurant, “Momofuku” was touted as an insta-album of sorts. The jagged edges that might inhabit a lesser auteur’s work, however, are nowhere to be found in such epic pieces as “Go Away.” A story told in three acts with interludes befitting a Greek Chorus, the adherence to structure, and its journeyman use of low frequency words, make “Go Away” magnetic. Here in my little spy movie With my garter and dagger And my gag and my cuff And my gunslinger swagger With this alternating line rhyme scheme that is found throughout each act, the stage is set, the story is about to unfold using this quick cut framework. There will be a progression from its beginning four-line verse, to an eight-line verse, to finally a sixteen-line verse. In between each act is a twelve-line chorus that serves as a present continuous accusation that counterbalances the ensuing action. There are only two places where this structure is deviated from; once in the third telling of the chorus, and right now, with a two-line introduction of what seems to be the motive for the action that follows. You used to be my hand-painted villain You used to be so thrilling The mental image of a hand painted villain, in both literal and figurative form, creates a splashy rendition of a love-interest turned antagonist, placing the excitement in the past tense and the tumult squarely in the present. Now that all the roles have been set, the chorus perhaps betrays the potential interior monologue taking place in this little tale of espionage. It's a switch that you're flicking A fuse you're always tripping A button that you're pressing A number that you're pushing You're always delaying Denying and betraying Why don't you come back, baby? Why don't you go away? Go away, Go away Why don't you go away? Why don't you come back, baby? Why don't you go away? This is a 12-line chorus that is told in three parts: the first is 4 lines of observation. Flicking, tripping, pressing, pushing. Then comes 4 lines of emotional upheaval; you’re terrible for delaying, denying, and betraying. The final four lines grapple with the passion of it all. It’s a fickle yet classic story of love’s many facets of come here go away. Budapest intrigue Three hours of black and white Squinting at subtitles Through a telescopic sight Hungarian melody Repeating endlessly Is this the end I see? Approaching in front of me Here we have a rhyme scheme that frames the scene nicely: using a familiar alternating verse on the second and forth lines, as found in such classics as “Man Out of Time,” these eight lines are staggered by white/sight, endlessly/me, introducing us to the exotic setting of his little spy movie. What is at the heart of exposition is quite possibly a lengthy and wholly educational delve down the rabbit hole of rich noir-tinged Eastern European films. With films such as Béla Tarr’s highly acclaimed seven-hour 1994 black and white epic, Satantango (Shat and Tahngo), garnering so much international acclaim, there is undoubtedly a treasure trove of pre- and post-communist cinema to devour. I’m only two hours in so far, and can certainly see the perverse appeal of it. The intrigue once again turns to frenetic chorus once again. Afterward, the second act begins. In this hysterical epic Secret passage of the palace Powder from a hollow ring Into the poisonous chalice Unfrocked fondler In a half moonlit gondola Pampered hog in a ringlet wig Gamboled a merry jig You’re always pursuing But she won’t need possessing Just undoing and undressing Please don't stop confessing This chock-a-block scene begins with a sly nod to its frenetic chorus with its mention of its “hysterical epic.” Then there’s the many classic espionage tropes placed neatly in the first four alliterative laced lines. Ornate secret passages, poisoned rings, chalices. It all sounds quite familiar, just before it digs deeper into a more obscure. An “unfrocked fondler” is a fancy way to say a naked person sitting in a shadowy boat, a half-moon lit gondola. Oh, the joy. Then a tongue twister, “pampered hog in a ringlet wig, gamboled a merry jig.” Mr. Costello has mentioned several times recently how he was a songwriter who turned into a singer mostly because he was the only one who could sing his “quirky” tunes. Long live the quirky. And understatements. The last four lines in this verse, using the present progressive, masquerade as the first four lines of the third telling of the chorus, which then goes on to leave out its first four lines in it repetition. This is the second and last deviation from structure to be found in this piece. As with the majority of three-act plays, going from initial incident in act one, to the rising action in act 2, “Go Away” now presents its climax in act three. In my mystery caper As I lower my lamp On a fey little gunsel Who dreamed of drilling that vamp I’m walking the shade Of this silent parade With my pepper and mace And my heartbroken face In this first two stanzas of this last verse that serve as a restatement of the action, the economy of words is simply staggering. For example, a “fey little gunsel”; fey, spelled with an e, means foreboding, marked for death, or with an otherworldly attitude, and a gunsel is an armed criminal. A dangerous, shady, and lovelorn character who’s now gone back into the dark night. Meanwhile, the hero is still in the light, or not in complete darkness as denoted by shade, watching humanity go by perhaps. Pepper and mace, heartbroken face; these sounds join forces to resemble a flurry of gunfire or fireworks. And now for the denouement, the loose ends to be tied up neatly. Rainy railway station Drowns out a tearful parting Last canister rolling On our little melodrama Is a one-horse opera A screwball comedy Mistaken identity Well, who do you want to be? These jump-cut style vignettes bring an avalanche of classic black and white movies cascading. Anna Karenina, Duck Soup, The Third Man. On and on. In these noir worldscapes, who would you want to be? A switch that you're flicking A fuse you're always tripping A button that you're pressing A number that you're pushing You're always delaying Denying or betraying Why don't you come back, baby? Why don't you go away? Go Away, Go Away Why don't you go away? Why don't you come back, baby? Why don't you go away? Hey, hey Why don't you Go away Why don't you go away? — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Go Away” from 2008’s “Momofuku.” This was a pretty tricky piece to do a slow drag with. I wanted to focus more on the tremendous structure and leave the definition of the low frequency words alone, since all I’d be doing is restating what Mr. Costello has said so masterfully. Exploring the obscure words are much different from simply teasing out his many oblique references. I have defined a few words, as you have heard, but hope I’ve stopped short of changing the interpretation all together. All told, “Go Away” is an endlessly fascinating piece with a structure that feels as if it were labored over, when in reality, we’re told it came together, or at least the album that it lives on, quickly, instantly. The jump cuts, ala “Breathless,” add a wonderful flourish to the timeless appeal of film noir. And that’s it for today’s slow drag my friend. Thank you for listening. Other gems from “Momofuku” that you’ll enjoy a slow drag with are episode 07, “Let’s See How Brave You Are,” a slow drag with “No Hiding Place,” episode 35, “A Song in My Heart,” a slow drag with “Turpentine,” and episode 48, “Erase Everything Rotten,” a slow drag with “Flutter and Wow.” 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, “Go Away”: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Go_Away “Go Away”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQUq5AxhXJ4 The structure of a three-act Play: https://blog.reedsy.com/three-act-structure/ Purchase “The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday” https://www.amazon.com/Most-Terrible-Time-Life-Thursday-ebook/dp/B07XLXS5PL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Y4SGCT62WPEK&dchild=1&keywords=the+most+terrible+time+in+my+life+ends+thursday&qid=1608873405&sprefix=The+Most+Terrible+Time+in+%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1 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 |