Days
Elvis Costello Lyrics
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From a great big man or a tiny tot
But from this day everyday will be Boxing Day
Don't need your indecision let there be no doubt
Don't need you permission I can count you out
TKO
They put the numb into number they put the cut into cutie
They put the slum into slumber and the boot into beauty
But from this day everyday will be Boxing Day
It's a fight to the finish let there be no doubt
As the seconds turn into minutes I can count you out
TKO
You need a back to break or a back to stab
Now your birthday suit looks dull and drab
But from this day everyday will be Boxing Day
Now you don't look so glamorous
Whenever I feel so amorous
I can count you out
TKO
In "Days," Elvis Costello sings about moving on from a failed relationship and asserting his independence. He encourages his ex-partner to leave him alone without any indecisiveness or ambivalence. The lyrics are a metaphor for a boxing match, evoking the idea of a final knockout blow. The chorus repeats the phrase "TKO," indicating a technical knockout, a victory that results from a referee's intervention in a fight due to one fighter's inability to continue. The use of Boxing Day, typically observed the day after Christmas, as a metaphor for everyday serves as a way for Costello to emphasize that the fight between him and his partner will continue on beyond one day.
Throughout the song, Costello uses wordplay that reflects the theme of boxing. In the first verse, he says, "They put the numb into number they put the cut into cutie / They put the slum into slumber and the boot into beauty," using rhyming and alliteration to create a sense of momentum in the verse, much like a boxer advancing forward in a match. He also uses repetitive refrains with slight variations, emphasizing the idea that the relationship is like a boxing match that goes on and on.
Interestingly, the song was not originally intended to be on the album it appears on, "Taking Liberties." It was a B-side for the single "Watching the Detectives." It was later added to the US release of "Taking Liberties" and to the reissue of "Armed Forces."
Another interesting fact is that the song has been described as a precursor to the more mainstream sound that Costello would embrace later in his career. The punk energy of early records like "My Aim Is True" and "This Year's Model" is still present, but the jazz-pop influences that would become more pronounced on later albums like "Imperial Bedroom" and "Get Happy!!" are also evident.
"Days" was co-written with drummer Pete Thomas, who would remain Costello's primary collaborator throughout his career. The two had played together since Costello's days in a pub rock band called Flip City.
Line by Line Meaning
You can run all you like from the classroom or the cot
You might try to escape your problems in school or at home, but they will catch up to you eventually.
From a great big man or a tiny tot
It doesn't matter if you're dealing with a powerful adult or a helpless child, your issues will still be there.
But from this day everyday will be Boxing Day
Every day will be a struggle, like the UK holiday Boxing Day where people box up their problems and feelings.
Don't need your indecision let there be no doubt
I don't need your constant waffling and uncertainty, I need you to make up your mind.
Don't need you permission I can count you out
I don't need your agreement, I will just exclude you from my life.
TKO
Technical Knockout - a boxing term for when one fighter is unable to continue the match.
They put the numb into number they put the cut into cutie
Society tries to define things so much that we lose our emotions and individuality.
They put the slum into slumber and the boot into beauty
Society also tries to make the less fortunate feel insignificant and the opposite of beautiful.
It's a fight to the finish let there be no doubt
This is a struggle that won't end until someone wins and is declared the victor.
As the seconds turn into minutes I can count you out
I've waited long enough for you, I can't keep giving you chances to decide.
You need a back to break or a back to stab
You're the type of person who would turn on someone if it benefiting you in some way.
Now your birthday suit looks dull and drab
You used to be vibrant and interesting, but now you are boring and unremarkable.
Now you don't look so glamorous
You're not as important or attractive as you used to be.
Whenever I feel so amorous
When I feel romantic or attracted to someone, it's not you anymore.
I can count you out
I'm done with you, you're no longer involved in my life.
TKO
Another reference to a technical knockout in boxing.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danielmorse6597
One of the best movies and soundtracks.
@Yosoyeleditor
I agree
@Engelbird
I first heard this song on the radio the day my mother died. May 31, 2017. I was 800+ miles away and she'd passed early that morning in the nursing home. Later that evening as I was driving home to Illinois through Pennsylvania, there was the most striking, colorful sunset in hot pinks and oranges in a mackerel sky. This song came on the radio and I just listened transfixed, and cried and cried. She was my best friend.
@x0thorn0x
Epic song. Always reminds me of the pets I’ve loved and had to let go. Always makes me cry... that good, cathartic cry.
@thx4dluv
I wasn't a fan of this song at first but it has grown on me and makes this soundtrack feel complete.
@joelleferreira4292
«... I bless the Light that shines on you...»
@Pinco-xg2ol
Remember....great movie
@jimmykicker7775
This song always reminds me of the end of my first year of college back in April of 1994. That's when I first heard this song and it takes me back to those last few special weeks even now, 18 years later.
@danielmorse6597
It reminds me of Bloomington IN back in the day. Sleeping on the floor, drinking, working and earning my way. As young men should. Lots of interesting peoples and doing stuff, again, as young should. Thirty years later I wonder where they all went. I sometimes run into people,....they pretend to not know me. I look like I live under a bridge w my big beard. Lol, go on little ones. You will never match the memories we made. They will never know how successful I am. My ship sailed on.
@sns8420
Until the End of the World - Wim Wenders