Born in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in London, Costello is the son of trumpeter, vocalist and band-leader Ronald (“Ross”) MacManus and record store manager Lillian Costello. His family had roots in Merseyside and he moved to Birkenhead at age 16, with his mother, when his parents separated. While he is better known as 'Elvis Costello', a stage name referring to the legendary Elvis Presley suggested by Stiff Records manager Jake Riviera, he has used many other aliases, including 'The Imposter' and 'Napoleon Dynamite'.
In the early 1970s Costello was a participant in London's pub rock scene with the group Flip City. Then in 1977 along with fellow Pub-Rockers Nick Lowe and Ian Dury he made his first releases on the independent label Stiff, tailoring his work towards the burgeoning punk, power pop, and new wave scenes. From 1980's Armed Forces onwards, however, other influences including soul, country, 1960s pop, and classical music began to re-emerge, and he soon became established as a unique and original voice. His output has been wildly diverse: one critic has written that "Costello, the pop encyclopedia, can reinvent the past in his own image".
His prolific and varied 30-year career has been marked by two constants: sharp songwriting and musical restlessness. The latter has seen him dabble in almost every musical form, from country to jazz to orchestral. This stems from the fact that, at heart, Costello is a fan. His desire to work with his musical heroes has attracted collaborators as diverse as Burt Bacharach and Paul McCartney, Anne Sofie von Otter, Allen Toussaint, Aimee Mann, Bill Frisell, and Brian Eno.
But his most successful partners were his long-term band The Attractions. They comprised Steve Nieve (keyboards), Pete Thomas (drums) and Bruce Thomas (bass). Between 1978 and 1983, this outfit produced a peerless series of albums: This Year's Model; Armed Forces; Get Happy!!; Almost Blue; Trust; Imperial Bedroom and Punch the Clock.
These recordings drew on styles spanning soul, country and western and commercial pop. It was only with 1984's Goodbye Cruel World that Costello started to stumble. An album he concedes was one of his worst, it ushered in a period which produced interesting music but lacked the consistent quality of his halcyon days. Interestingly, although he enlisted the other Elvis's band for King of America in 1986, it was a reunion with The Attractions and former producer Nick Lowe that produced his best album of the late 1980s in the form of the scabrous Blood and Chocolate.
The following albums, Spike and Mighty Like a Rose were uncompromising and difficult solo works, as was the string quartet collaboration The Juliet Letters in 1993. It was only reconvening the Attractions for Brutal Youth the following year that gave his fans another glimpse of what first attracted them to him: punchy, angry pop songs, tightly played by an impeccably taut ensemble.
Since then, Costello has become a career dilettante, true to his inner musical quest, but never again returning to heights he scaled in the early 1980s. Maybe the best work of this latter period was 1998's Painted from Memory. This joint effort with Burt Bacharach matched restrained writing from Costello with stately Bacharach arrangements.
Subsequent career nadirs such as the tune-free North (2003), and instrumental orchestral works such as Il Sogno (2004) led many long-term admirers to conclude that Costello had retained his integrity at the expense of his real musical strengths. However, he has given occasional evidence of his former fire. The ballsy bar-room atmosphere of the collaborative The Delivery Man (2004), suggests that he is still capable of giving his fans what they want, in between his more esoteric experiments.
Elvis is married to jazz vocalist Diana Krall and they have twin sons.
*Upon the film's release, it was noted that the name "Napoleon Dynamite" had originally been used by musician Elvis Costello, most visibly on his 1986 album Blood and Chocolate, although he had used the pseudonym on a single B-side as early as 1982. Filmmaker Jared Hess claims that he was not aware of Costello's use of the name until two days before the end of shooting, when he was informed by a teenage extra. He later said, "Had I known that name was used by anybody else prior to shooting the whole film, it definitely would have been changed ... I listen to hip-hop, dude. It's a pretty embarrassing coincidence." Hess claims that "Napoleon Dynamite" was the name of a man he met around the year 2000 on the streets of Cicero, Illinois while doing missionary work for the Mormon Church.
Costello believes that Hess stole the name: "The guy just denies completely that I made the name up... but I invented it. Maybe somebody told him the name and he truly feels that he came about it by chance. But it's two words that you're never going to hear together." To date, Costello has taken no legal action against the film.
Elvis Costello and Elton John to Make a Television 'Spectacle'
Two of the most respected musicians in the world will collaborate on an extraordinary new television series.
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." is hosted by its namesake and produced in conjunction with Sir Elton John's Rocket Pictures. Elton John will be one of the program's Executive Producers.
The series begain airing in 2008 on CTV in Canada, Channel 4 in the UK and Sundance Channel in the US. FremantleMedia Enterprises, will handle sales of the show to the rest of the world.
Conceived to provide a forum for in-depth discussion and performance with the most interesting and influential artists and personalities of our time, the show fuses the best of talk and music television.
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." is an unpredictable and unprecedented television experience. The series of 13 one-hour programs features everything from intimate one-on-ones with legendary performers and notable newcomers to thematic panel discussions, with a variety of performance elements including unique collaborations, acoustic and impromptu "illustrative" demonstrations of the creative process, and some original interpretations of others' songs by Costello.
20% Amnesia
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The word that she wanted was destination i`m afraid (20% amnesia)
This is your future boy, this is your fate (20% amnesia)
And you`re obsolete and they can`t afford to educate you (20% amnesia)
In his bedtime boot boy jersey
Ringing up some fantasy tart
Give me strength or give me mercy
[Chorus:]
Give me strength or give me mercy
Don`t let me lose heart
From rage to anesthesia
Twenty percent amnesia
Were you passed out on the sofa (20% amnesia)
While justice was bartered by a drunken oaf? (20% amnesia)
This is all your glorious country thinks of your life (20% amnesia)
Stripped jack naked with a Stanley knife (20% amnesia)
So the German queen went home again
But she couldn't find forgiveness
They made a fist of her hand of friendship
But it`s only business
[Chorus]
The wine you drink has never seen a grape
And now your sci-fi suit has lost its shape
But its a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth, sometimes it delays it
Think back, think back if you still can
When the trumpet sounded and the world began
Somebody said "we must have won"
So they started burying the boogeyman
Mister Gorbachev came cap in hand (20% amnesia)
From a bankrupt land to a bankrupt land (20% amnesia)
Mister Gorbachev and some other fella (20% amnesia)
Were taken to a show called "Cinderella" (20% amnesia)
It wasn't an accident, it wasn't a mystery (20% amnesia)
It was calculated and the rest is history (20% amnesia)
You don`t have to listen to me
That`s the triumph of free will
When there are promises to break
And dreams to kill
[Chorus]
The song "20% Amnesia" by Elvis Costello is a commentary on the state of politics and society at the time of its release. The lyrics address different issues such as the lack of education and opportunities for young people, the corruption in the justice system, and the manipulation of politics by those in power. The title itself, which refers to the loss of memory, suggests that society has forgotten its values and principles, and that people have become apathetic and disconnected from reality.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the police woman asks about the singer's destiny, using the wrong word, which suggests a lack of understanding or disregard for people's aspirations or potential. The second verse, with its imagery of a young man in a "bedtime boot boy jersey" calling a "fantasy tart", implies a sense of desperation and disillusionment, as he seeks refuge in sexual fantasies and escapism. The chorus, with its plea for strength and mercy, suggests a struggle to stay afloat amidst overwhelming challenges, and the need for resilience and hope.
The third and fourth verses address more specific issues, such as the degradation of life and dignity in society, the betrayal of trust by leaders, and the exploitation of cultural and political symbols for personal gain. The final verse echoes the theme of forgetting, as the singer speaks of "promises to break" and "dreams to kill", suggesting that the future is uncertain and that people's memories and hopes are fragile and vulnerable. Overall, the song speaks to the need for awareness, empathy, and action, in order to address the problems that plague society.
Line by Line Meaning
What is your destiny? the police woman said....(20% amnesia)
A question about where you are headed, but asked poorly.
The word that she wanted was destination i`m afraid (20% amnesia)
She meant 'destination' instead of 'destiny'
This is your future boy, this is your fate (20% amnesia)
You don't have much control over what happens next.
And you`re obsolete and they can`t afford to educate you (20% amnesia)
You're not worth spending money on, so you won't get a good education.
Were you passed out on the sofa (20% amnesia)
Did you miss what just happened?
While justice was bartered by a drunken oaf? (20% amnesia)
Did you miss the corrupt dealings of this drunk person?
This is all your glorious country thinks of your life (20% amnesia)
Your country doesn't care about you.
Stripped jack naked with a Stanley knife (20% amnesia)
You've been left completely vulnerable and exposed.
Mister Gorbachev came cap in hand (20% amnesia)
Gorbachev came to ask for help,
From a bankrupt land to a bankrupt land (20% amnesia)
But both countries were struggling financially.
Mister Gorbachev and some other fella (20% amnesia)
Another person came along with Gorbachev.
Were taken to a show called 'Cinderella' (20% amnesia)
They were brought to a show for entertainment.
It wasn't an accident, it wasn't a mystery (20% amnesia)
It was all planned, no surprises here.
It was calculated and the rest is history (20% amnesia)
The outcome was expected and now it's part of the past.
In his bedtime boot boy jersey
Wearing his favorite outfit to bed
Ringing up some fantasy tart
Calling a made-up woman in the imagination
Give me strength or give me mercy
Asking for an emotional boost
Life intimidates art
The real world can be scarier than any work of art.
The wine you drink has never seen a grape
Your fancy drink isn't authentic.
And now your sci-fi suit has lost its shape
Your futuristic clothes aren't holding up over time.
But its a dangerous game that comedy plays
Humor can be risky.
Sometimes it tells you the truth, sometimes it delays it
Comedy can either reveal truths or distract from them.
Think back, think back if you still can
Try to remember, if you're able.
When the trumpet sounded and the world began
When the world was first created.
Somebody said 'we must have won'
Someone declared victory for no particular reason.
So they started burying the boogeyman
Taking care of the imaginary threat.
But she couldn't find forgiveness
She couldn't be forgiven no matter what she did.
They made a fist of her hand of friendship
They were unwilling to accept her friendly gesture.
But it`s only business
It's not personal, just a matter of money.
You don't have to listen to me
I'm not forcing you to pay attention.
That`s the triumph of free will
You have the freedom to ignore me.
When there are promises to break
Sometimes it's inevitable that promises will be broken.
And dreams to kill
And sometimes dreams will have to be sacrificed.
Give me strength or give me mercy
Repeat of an earlier request for emotional assistance.
Don't let me lose heart
Request to not become discouraged or demoralized.
From rage to anesthesia
Title of the song, alluding to the spectrum of emotions we experience.
Twenty percent amnesia
The title again, an allusion to the idea that we forget some things we shouldn't.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DECLAN MACMANUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind