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Previously: “The Philosophy of Modern Song” Why did Bob choose THIS song?
by Tony Attwood
This song from 1978 by Elvis Costello was, according to Wikipedia if no one else, written as an ironic response an to Costello’s period with the Stiffs Live Tour and was indeed according to Costello inspired by “Subterranean Homesick Blues“. Bob reviewed it in the article “This song speaks new speak” which is chapter two of The Philosophy of Modern Song.
And of course both musically and lyrically we can find a link with Subterranean Homesick Blues, with lines like “There’s nothing underhand that she wouldn’t understand” and “All the things you bought for her, could not get a temperature.”
Thus in passing it is interesting to hear Costello’s response and compare it with where Bob took that song via this recording from our Never Ending Tour series selected from 2002, which is to say 37 years after it was written..
This article in the book ” The Philosophy of Modern Song,” is the one where Bob talks about being the alienated hero who has been taken for a ride by the quick-witted little hellcat. Bob also says “Pump it Up” is full of swing, athough that is something I don’t find, for swing to me is about rhythm with the accent on the second and fourth beats of the bar. But then, I come from a different continent and Costello on the other hand is pumping out an accent on every beat so maybe that is swing now. But anyway, if Bob says it, he’s much more likely to be right than I am, so of course I give way.
Bob also asks in this article, “Why all the trivial talk and yakety yak?” and that indeed is a good question, for yes I would certainly agree this is what we are surrounded with. It is however something Elvis Costello worked hard through his life as a composer and performer to push aside.
However I think that for Bob that question is rhetorical, for what posing the question does do is remind us that Elvis Costello has through his career shown a lot of high-level belligerence, which is of course what punk rock has always brought. Or at least I should say, that’s how I remember the era.
Clearly the Dylan song had a real impact on Elvis Costello for he is the one who has cited “Subterranean Homesick Blues” as inspiration for his 1978 song “Pump It Up” (which was actually a top 30 hit in the UK). Of the song Costello said, “It’s how rock and roll works. You take the broken pieces of another thrill and make a brand-new toy. That’s what I did.”
Whatever Bob Dylan thinks of Elvis Costello’s writing in general, he is full of admiration for the revolution that Costello helped promote in the UK, noting that, “Back then English people appeared in suits and ties no matter how poor they were. With this manner of dress, every Englishman was equal.”
If Bob is critical of the music at all it is that Elvis Costello “exhausted people. Too much in his songs for anybody to actually land on. Too many thoughts. Way too wordy. Too many ideas that just bang up against themselves. Here however it is all compacted into one long song.”
“Pump it up” was released in 1978 and thus we came to hear it 13 years after Bob’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (which Bob played 120 times on stage).
Indeed the song Bob does value above all others in Elvis Costello’s work seems to be “Pump it Up”, which was according to many authorities was itself inspired by “Homesick Blues”. Dylan says it was the song that gave Elvis Costello “the licence” to do pretty much what he wanted, which Bob notes as including playing chamber music, writing songs with Burt Bacharach. as well as writing ballet and orchestral music.
And this is where I admit my ignorance and also yet again pay thanks both to Bob and all those who know more than me, because I didn’t know about this album, which apparently was recorded off and on between 1995 and 2022 and released in 2023.
One fact I did know however, but which I mention because it may have passed you by, and we are on this topic, is that Costello wrote a number of songs with Paul McCartney
Indeed his work has been incredibly varied across the years. Here’s one of the latest recordings I can find from him.