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"Everybody's hiding under covers / Who's making Lover's Lane safe again for lovers?"
— Elvis Costello, "Clowntime Is Over"
Johnny Rotten may have been louder, but when Elvis Costello bunt on the scene in 1977 with My Aim Is True, rock 'n roll saw the arrival of its angriest young artist to date. The music may have been some of the most brilliant pop-rock to come our way since those four other lads from Liverpool (Elvis' hometown) conquered the world in 1964, but beneath the happy-go-lucky melodies lurked an existential rage and poetic genius that out-burned even Dylan's early nihilistic candor.
Coming on like a post-napalm version of Buddy Holly, Elvis was almost comical in concept. (Ya know, like Abbott & Costello; he sorts looks like a wired Woody Allen.) But after a closer look at the lyrics, it became apparent that Elvis' neurotic wit was funny only because it hurts less to laugh than it does to cry.
In his own words, Elvis had this camera click-click-clicking in his brain, and the bleak pictures he was revealing went much deeper than just the death of romance, the decay of culture, the perversion of emotion, or the anti-fascist politics evident on songs like "Less Than Zero." Above it all, Elvis was singing about the death of God (or all the hopes and dreams which may fall under that label), and rock 'n roll was only a means by which he could wait for the end of the world.
When Elvis returned with his newly-acquired Attractions, releasing This Year's Model right in the midst of punk rock's most notorious phase, he proved himself to be the Main Attraction in more ways than one. Behind what resembled "96 Tears" filtered through a literal history of rock 'n roll, Elvis' rage seemed even more vehement than it did before. In fact, Elvis' attacks against the modern world were often so vicious that he appeared to be a misanthropist at times. He offended a lot of people. "My songs aren't about love," he said. "They're about guilt and revenge."
But, once again, a closer look at the lyrics revealed that Elvis summed to be much too concerned about "the times ahead" to be full of nothing but hate. Elvis was actually like a latter-day version of John Lennon, in that he gave rock audiences exactly what they wanted to hear, while bawling them out at the same time. When Lennon later said Elvis was his favorite new artist, it drove the analogy home.
All of Elvis' developing themes were brought together under one grand production on the brilliant and daring Armed Forces (originally titled Emotional Fascism). Behind some of. his most beautiful melodies yet, Elvis drew distinct connections between everything political, social, cultural and psychological, and warned the world to beware because accidents will happen. Above it all, he took a bitter look at the military armed forces (and other "super powers"), wrapped it all up by calling for a different kind of armed forces on Nick Lowe's luscious "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love & Understanding," and created a masterpiece that seems more relevant right now than it did upon its release over a year ago.
And then in the midst of a bizarre American tour, Elvis suddenly seemed to throw it all away. Following a traumatic separation from his wife and child (they have since reconciled), Elvis' paranoid reaction to his "overnight" stardom in America took a hostile and destructive course. It all culminated in a drunken barroom brawl with noted "punkophobics" Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett, in which Elvis said everything he could to offend the pair. After attacking their personal artistic merits, Elvis attacked America and everything about it (including inquiries about Elvis Presley and Hank Williams), and ended with the notorious racist comments about two of America's greatest R&B performers. Bramlett slugged him, and the American press finally had the story it needed to get back at that bad-mouthed, bigoted British wimp. Elvis had blown his cover, and, ironically enough, he suddenly seemed to represent the very things he once detested. (The subsequent reaction was faintly reminiscent of the time when another rock star compared his band to Jesus Christ.)
And now as the world seems ready for the living hell he has prophesized on his last three LPs, Elvis Costello is telling anyone who will listen to Get Happy!! (Columbia JC 36347). Of course, Elvis has always been a master of the double-entendre, and — like its predecessors — the LP's title can be taken at various levels of meaning. After all, it's apparent from the onset that Elvis doesn't seem to be any happier with the state of the modern world.
Take, for instance, "Opportunity" — one of the LP's 20 (that's right, 20!!) great cuts. After examining the theme of "back-stabbing" at various levels and the absurdity of modern existence, Elvis ends with what are some of the album's best lines: "I'm down in the foxhole / I'm down in the trench / I'd be a hero / but I can't stand the stench / The fitness institute is full of general motor men / The whole low house of beauty wouldn't stand a chance with them / The chairman of this boredom is a compliment collector / I'd like to be his funeral director / Opportunity / This is your big opportunity / To shop around / Follow you without a sound / Whatever you do now / PLEASE don't turn around!" Not exactly the type of lyrics you'd expect from a (God forbid!) complacent man.
Nonetheless, Get Happy!! is a change of direction for Elvis in that he finally takes on the one emotion that, to paraphrase
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