12th
When I was in 12th grade, and very deep into listening to Elvis Costello all of the time, my childhood friend named Jimmy visited my family. I hadn’t seen him since we were both in 3rd grade. He had grown into an enormous dude who played football and spoke very little. I played him a lot of Elvis Costello and he didn’t like any of it. I played the start of “Radio, Radio” and he shrugged. Then “Watching the Detectives” and “Alison” and he said “eh.” Eventually I put on Punch the Clock, which I thought was the strangest of all the EC albums and the MOMENT that “Everyday I Write the Book” started he lit up “Oh, THIS is cool” he said. He stood up and even kinda weirdly danced in place just a bit. “Yeah, it’s good.” Then he told me all about how each day after school he went to his girlfriend’s house and they had sex before her family got home.
I have no idea why this song works.
“Everyday I Write The Book” by Elvis Costello
Hey, everyone! Please answer me this question:
Why do I like this song? The melody is okay and the lyrics are glib. I shouldn’t like it, but I do.
People I expect to answer: Hal Phillips, Will Hines, Connor Ratliff. Maybe others?
Don’t fail me, gents.
Wait. I thought this was “Everyday I ROCK the BOAT.”
MY LIFE IS A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Punch The Clock is a strange album. It doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the albums with The Attractions, or anything else I’ve heard of Elvis Costello’s, but it’s got some wonderful moments on it.
The Sweetest Thing surprised me when I first heard it. It’s not bitter, Declan doesn’t snarl, he’s not angry, it’s just rather lovely. Shipbuilding is an amazing song. And it took me years before I realised that a lot of people might not understand the joke in The Element Within Her as they might not be familiar with scouse.
Anyhoo, my favourite Elvis Costello albums are earlier, snappier affairs, but Punch The Clock is an album I go back to periodically as I still love it even if I don’t fully understand all the reasons why.
