Today’s slow drag is with “Clown Strike” from “Brutal Youth,” released in 1994. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello’s birth name. The entire album where this piece is found might erroneously be considered a “return to form,” after the brilliant dalliance into the genre-busting string quartet sound of “Juliet Letters.” In reality, of course, knowing Wendy James’ “Now Ain’t the Time for Your Tears” was lurking around the same time, and 1996’s “All This Useless Beauty” wasn’t far off from the horizon, the gut-punching topics of “Brutal Youth,” helps to make the acerbic wit of “Clown Strike” seem to make nothing but sense. Literal and figurative, it’s as if we get the sense that this piece’s sentiment is directed toward someone very specific; we’re just not privy to whom exactly. So, it’s left up to us to assign the roles of clowns and acrobats to the people in our own lives as we see fit. It’s just a fun way to live, I think. She'll fix you with an iron cross And cover you up with petals And hang you up with some amber beads And four or five precious metals And in that black flamingo chair you'll sit among her trophies And pray to be abandoned 'til you don't know what hope is It might not be so easily spotted when listening to this verse, that five of the six lines begin with “and.” Only when it’s written out does this repetition become clearer. It’s the way a child speaks, isn’t it? Impetuous and imploring, stalling for time, stringing together fragments of thoughts in order to guide the listener to its conclusion that has gotten muddled in the process. The mention of amber beads and a flamingo chair reconfirms Mr. Costello’s apparent appreciation for design and architecture, especially rooted in the art deco movement of the 20s, and into the modern mid-20th century style. The flamingo chair was created by Erik Jorgensen, a Danish designer who founded his chair company in 1954, a momentous year for many reasons. The minimalistic Flamingo chair, retailing today for over $1,500, is described as demonstrating “the designer’s great sense of detail and focus on tactility with its beautiful rounded shapes, which almost seems to be floating on top of the elegant steel frame.” There is certainly a lot made with very little material. And while the lyric states that you’ll sit among her trophies, live renditions finds that you’ll sit among her “groceries.” Oh, how one word can change so many other things around it. “Cover you up with petals,” as in rose petals, perhaps. As in far flung lovers sprinkling UPS deliveries of perfectly plucked fragrant petals over themselves as they whisper their desires down a long-distance telephone conversation in the privacy of their hotel room. Sometimes we can only guess at meaning, sometimes the gossip helps to reveal more insight than one lets on. Then, of course comes a patented journeyman verbal somersault that we all love so much: “pray to be abandoned ‘til you don’t know what hope is.” Scour the third and four meanings of “abandon” for insight, and still, the flip at the end renders trying to crack its code an act of wonderfully maddening futility. But there's one thing That I have to keep inside because I was shaking Why don't you get some pride? There was a clown strike And the clowns threw down their tools But you don't have to play so hard And I'm nobody's fool You don't have to go so far ‘Cos I love you as you are All the “ands” of the first verse go on to be negated it seems, with the introduction of “but.” “But there’s one thing.” Brilliant. Are there any questions more cutting than “why don’t you get some pride?”? Can there really ever be pride when relationships are involved? Not the more interesting ones, at any rate. The tools the clowns threw down as they go on strike suggests a bit of hand-to-hand combat at the same time sparking the imagination of what tools a clown may carry. Fairy dust? Silk flowers? Squirt guns? The exact lengths one might go to are spelled out in the next verse; just knowing they don’t have to makes the pride comment all the more devastating. The big top is deserted now and the circus girl rehearses She knows how to turn their heads and not fall between two horses But all that seems a simple step, if only I were able To love you like I want to do And not by some times-table Rehearses and horses; there’s so much movement in this verse that blends the big top with what could easily be an allegory for an afternoon sound check. There seems to be a bit of “Mouth Almighty” tiptoeing in the shadows of this verse, I’d say, “shooting” his mouth off “once or twice nightly.” All this practicing, when there’s only ever time for a two-hour show. And it's pandemonium For the humble and the mighty You don't have to tumble for me Even a clown knows when to strike “It’s pandemonium for the humble and mighty.” If it could ever be possible to pin down a thesis sentence in any of Mr. Costello’s pieces, this might make a good stab at it. Knowing your rights and asserting them seem to be forever at odds with each other. But even an utter fool knows when to hit back. Even an utter fool knows when to demand their version of justice. Tell me what you want of me Or are you terrified of failure Put on a superstitious face behind all this paraphernalia We're not living in a masquerade where you only have three wishes It isn't easy to see in a lifetime of mistaken kisses Failure and paraphernalia. When have these two words ever been rhymed in poetry or song before or since? Mr. Costello has always used this English accent to its full potential, first evidenced by floor and law in “My Aim is True’s” “Less Than Zero.” Dapple in lovely big long words, such as “superstitious” and “masquerade,” and this entire verse pops with a sort of sure-footed effervescence. Three wishes and kisses; not just any kisses though, mistaken kisses. There’s a vague motif of the perils of answered prayers that runs through many of these pieces. But there's one thing That I had to keep inside because I was shaking Why don't you get some pride? There was a clown strike And the clowns threw down their tools But you don't have to play so hard And I'm nobody's fool You don't have to go so far ‘Cos I love you as you are And it's pandemonium For the humble and the mighty You don't have to tumble for me Even a clown knows when to strike — Dig it Again, this has been a slow drag with “Clown Strike” from 1994’s “Brutal Youth.” The double meanings that flow throughout this seem as if they should be so obvious. Yet, when pressed, they become as oblique as all good poetry would like to be. I’m still picturing what tools the clowns throw down. Let’s add honking horn to the list; it can then double back to the notion of a concert rehearsal. The ability and the joy of heaping as many avenues and blind alleys onto a clever piece like this is part of what keeps us hip grinding and enjoying a lovely slow drag with each of Mr. Costello’s creations. And that’s it for today’s slow drag, my friend. Thank you for listening. Other gems from “Brutal Youth” you’ll enjoy a slow drag with are episodes 8, “The Word She Wanted,” a slow drag with “20% Amnesia,” episode 26, “Before You Start to Cry,” a slow drag with “You Tripped at Every Step,” episode 45, “The Gallery of Attempted People,” a slow drag with “Science Fiction Twin,” and episode 69, “Fashion Fingernails,” a slow drag with “13 Steps Lead Down.” As always, thank you for helping to get the word out about this little passion project. Truly, it means the world. 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, “Clown Strike”: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Clown_Strike “Clown Strike”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0zbZDn7juc “Elvis Costello The Gwendolyn Letters (demos): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQieshbrzpI Erik Jorgensen background: https://www.fredericia.com/stories/erik-joergensen.aspx Flamingo Chair: https://www.danishdesignstore.com/products/ej205-flamingo-chair-by-erik-jorgensen https://www.danishdesignstore.com/products/ej205-flamingo-chair-by-erik-jorgensen 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 |