Phonographic Memory: Difference between revisions

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"We have come not so much to a fork in the road<br>
{{song header}}
As a fork on the plate<br>
 
Scraping the last lick off the gravy train of history"<br>
{{song lyrics
There was nervous laughter from the dais<br>
|lyrics = {{Phonographic Memory}}
That rolled outwards through the crowd<br>
}}
On a breeze that rustled flags and banners
 
<br>It was the voice of Orson Welles<br>
{{song credits header}}
His baritone coming to us over decades of dead silence<br>
 
Through a metallic tannoy<br>
{{song credits
Each word meticulously tape spliced<br>
|title = Phonographic Memory
From various soundtracks and radio broadcasts<br>
|writer = [[Elvis Costello]]
In the Library of Congress<br>
|performer = [[Elvis Costello]]
It wowed the crowd<br>
|producer = [[Elvis Costello]]
Before it fluttered and faltered<br>
|musicians = [[Elvis Costello]] - vocals, all instruments
As the powder of lost oxide<br>
|record_info =
Caused a catch in his voice<br>
|release_info = August 28, 2020 (download/stream)<br>
Just as the spool ran out<br>
|albums =
Curiously, the simulated address<br>
|singles =
Seemed to be delivered in the same strange stage-Irish accent<br>
|collections =
That Welles had possibly purloined from the actor Micheál Mac Liammóir<br>
|soundtracks =
When he had bluffed his way on to the Dublin stage as a teenager<br>
|various_artists =
Now it was just one in a queue of immigrant inflections<br>
|promos =
That might have taken the day<br>
|videos =
It was also the voice that Orson had used in "Lady From Shanghai"<br>
|length = 4:05
You know, the one with the shootout amidst the shattered reflections of funhouse mirrors<br>
}}<br>
Few remembered that motion picture now<br>
 
One man in the third row remarked to his wife<br>
{{song notes
That he seemed to remember this voice selling him sweet sherry in his youth<br>
|background =
But there were many in the crowd who knew nothing of this Citizen<br>
|first = none
And the Kane he had once raised<br>
|last  =
Back when the worst one could imagine was an invasion from another sphere<br>
}}{{song quote
After the peace was negotiated<br>
| quote      =
And the Internet switched off<br>
| source    =
Knowledge returned to its mediaeval cloister<br>
}}
In this and that illuminated volume<br>
 
The jealous possession of the pious and the superstitious<br>
{{thumbs header}}
Who might have once again wielded ignorance like a scythe<br>
<imagemap>
There were but dimly remembered facsimiles
Image:Phonographic Memory single artwork.jpg|99px|center
<br>After many of the public libraries had been torched<br>
rect 0 0 960 960 [[Phonographic Memory]]
Untouched books now went for the price of a Vuitton handbag<br>
desc none
Ever since the US Mint was sucked dry and spat out<br>
</imagemap>
Bookworms paid for rare tomes with wheelbarrows full of bank notes<br>
|}
Some of them worthless Confederate money<br>
 
Stashed in plinths in various toppled statues<br>
{{song covers
None of it helped the healing<br>
|covers =
Yet in the absence of a noble woman<br>
}}
Or a statesman equal to the task<br>
 
A tireless engineer had magically assembled random words of Welles' oration<br>
==[[Special:WhatLinksHere/Phonographic Memory|Internal links]]==
Into a speech worthy of the occasion<br>
*[[Template:Phonographic Memory|Lyrics]]
From the depths of the National Archive<br>
 
President Swift gave a slight shy smile of pearl and pillarbox red<br>
==External links==
And began to sing a plainsong of her acceptance
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJD0bVwuqDs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1ooWPK8CQIz2N6xisGOFDKTVimMeUem5O7_5Aa66mMsFin9GXrfD4u-5I YouTube video]
 
[[Category:2020]]
[[Category:Songs]]
[[Category:Lyrics]]

Revision as of 04:44, 28 August 2020

"We have come not so much to a fork in the road, as a fork on the plate, scraping the last lick off the gravy train of history"

There was nervous laughter from the dais that rolled outwards through the crowd on a breeze that rustled flags and banners.

It was the voice of Orson Welles, his baritone coming to us over decades of dead silence through a metallic tannoy, each word meticulously tape-spliced from various soundtracks and radio broadcasts in the Library of Congress.

It wowed the crowd before it fluttered and faltered as the powder of lost oxide caused a catch in his voice just as the spool ran out.

Curiously, the simulated address seemed to be delivered in the same strange stage-Irish accent that Welles had possibly purloined from the actor, Micheál Mac Liammóir, when he had bluffed his way onto the Dublin stage as a teenager.

Now it was just one in a queue of immigrant inflections that might have taken the day.

It was also the voice that Orson had used in "Lady From Shanghai". You know, the one with the shootout amidst the shattered reflections of fun house mirrors.

Few remembered that motion picture now.

One man in the third row remarked to his wife that he seemed to remember this voice selling him sweet sherry in his youth but there were many in the crowd who knew nothing of this "Citizen" and the "Kane" he had once raised, back when the worst one could imagine was an invasion from another sphere.

After the peace was negotiated and the Internet switched off, knowledge returned to its medieval cloister, in this and that illuminated volume, the jealous possession of the pious and the superstitious, who might once again wield ignorance like a scythe.

There were but dimly remembered facsimiles after many of the public libraries had been torched. Untouched books now went for the price of a Vuitton handbag.

Ever since the U.S. Mint was sucked dry and spat out, bookworms paid for rare tomes with wheelbarrows full of banknotes, some of them worthless Confederate money, stashed in plinths of various toppled statues.

They bartered it on a Mississippi square with the irony and arrogance of victors.

None of it helped the healing.

Yet in the absence of a noble woman or a statesman equal to the task, a tireless engineer had magically assembled random words of Welles' oration into a speech worthy of the occasion from the depths of the national archive.

President Swift gave a slight, shy smile of pearl and pillarbox red and began to sing a plainsong of her acceptance.

Phonographic Memory
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, all instruments
ReleasedAugust 28, 2020 (download/stream)
Length4:05

First known performance:
     (0 known performances)


Phonographic MemoryPhonographic Memory single artwork.jpg


Internal links

External links