Lyrics
The lyrics draw various parallels between romance and the process of composing written texts. The narrator identifies himself as "a man with a mission in two or three editions" and tells his paramour "your compliments and your cutting remarks are captured here in my quotation marks." He also compares the stages of their relationship with chapters in a book saying:
Chapter One we didn't really get along
Chapter Two I think I fell in love with you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three
But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four, Five and Six
Video
The music video for "Everyday I Write the Book" has been called a "classic MTV hit" and features footage of Elvis Costello and the Attractions performing in a studio with female backup singers dressed in African clothing and kente cloth headwraps. Footage of Costello and his bandmates performing is mingled with footage showing celebrity lookalikes of Prince Charles and Princess Diana incongruously doing household chores and watching television in a middle class domicile. Clips of the silent adventure film being watched by Princess Diana are also included in the montage.
When Prince Charles appears wielding a rapier and wearing a swashbuckler costume like that of the actors in the silent film, Princess Diana rolls her eyes and returns her attention to the television. Further attempts by Prince Charles to impress his spouse—including presenting her with a red rose and jumping through a flaming hoop—are similarly rebuffed as she is more interested in the romances depicted on her television. At one point, Elvis Costello drops two stone tablets similar to those in the classic film The Ten Commandments.
Reviews
A reviewer for Allmusic described this song and one other as the best on Punch the Clock and said they work well as "shiny pop singles." A writer for Stylus Magazine said it is one of three best songs on that album and that its "fractured keyboards" feature the most successful use of the "overdub cut-and-paste style." Robert Christgau included this song among those Elvis Costello hits "you like so much you think you understand them." According to one source, the theme of the song's "hopeless pop romantic" lyrics are about "struggling to make his marriage work."
Everyday I Write The Book
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're old enough to know better
When you find strange hands in your sweater
When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote
I'm a man with a mission on two or three editions
And I'm giving you a longing look
Everyday
Everyday I write the book
Chapter One: We didn't really get along
Chapter Two: I think I fell in love with you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three
But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four
Five and Six.
And I'm giving you a longing look
The way you walk
The way you talk and try to kiss me
And laugh in four or five paragraphs.
All your compliments and your cutting remarks
Are captured here in my quotation marks.
And I'm giving you a longing look
Everyday I write the book
Don't tell me you don't know the difference
Between a lover and a fighter
With my pen and my electric typewriter
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.
And I'm giving you a longing look
Everyday
Everyday
Everyday I write the book
Everyday
Everyday
Everyday
Everyday I write the book
In "Everyday I Write The Book," Elvis Costello sings about the ups and downs of a failed relationship. The song is full of clever and insightful lyrics that convey the feeling of heartbreak and disillusionment that can come with love. The first verse sets the stage for the song, with Costello singing about the sadness that comes with realizing that the person you love is not who they appear to be. When he says "When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote," he is acknowledging the disappointment of building up someone in your head only to find out they are not the person you thought they were.
In the second verse, Costello moves into storytelling mode, describing the events of his relationship as though they are chapters in a book. He talks about the ups and downs of his relationship and how he thought he was falling in love. When he says "But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four/Five and Six," he is once again acknowledging the feeling of disillusionment that can come with love, as well as the idea that people often repeat the same patterns in their relationships.
The chorus, which repeats throughout the song, further emphasizes the idea that love and relationships are like writing a book. Each day is a new chapter, and we are constantly crafting our stories as we go. Costello's lyrics are full of insight, and the way he weaves in the imagery of writing a book is both clever and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't tell me you don't know what love is
I refuse to believe that you do not understand the concept of love
When you're old enough to know better
When you have reached an age where you are expected to have a mature understanding of relationships
When you find strange hands in your sweater
When someone else's hands have been all over you in a way that is not appropriate
When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote
When the person you had high hopes for disappoints you and is no longer important
I'm a man with a mission on two or three editions
I'm a determined person with a plan involving multiple steps
And I'm giving you a longing look
I am expressing a strong desire for you
Everyday
This happens daily
Everyday I write the book
I am constantly documenting the events of my life and relationships
Chapter One: We didn't really get along
The beginning of our relationship was not smooth
Chapter Two: I think I fell in love with you
I began to develop strong feelings for you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three
You promised to support me during a difficult time in our relationship
But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four, Five and Six.
However, you continued to behave in ways that caused problems for us
The way you walk
The manner in which you move your body
The way you talk and try to kiss me
The style in which you communicate and attempt to be physically intimate with me
And laugh in four or five paragraphs.
Your laughter is significant enough to be described with multiple paragraphs
All your compliments and your cutting remarks
Both your kind words and your critical words
Are captured here in my quotation marks.
I am recording everything you say, positive and negative, verbatim
Don't tell me you don't know the difference
I refuse to believe that you cannot distinguish between two things
Between a lover and a fighter
The contrast between a romantic partner and a confrontational person
With my pen and my electric typewriter
My tools for writing and recording my life's events
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
Even if society was perfectly just and fair for everyone
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.
I would still have control over my own story, and be continuing to document it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elvis Costello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shawnmcvey7789
Saw him do this song with Allen Toussaint live, it was a really cool version.
Actually accosted Elvis Costello after the show on his way back to his hotel.
He was surprisingly nice to me even though I was a sweaty teenager and all I wanted to do was tell him how much all the extra material on his Rhino reissues inspired me to become a wildly versatile musician that could play anything in any style.
...in the middle another sweaty teenager ran up, asked him to sign a This Year's Model LP, and then ran away screaming about it once it was signed.
After that Elvis offered to sign something for me, I said I didn't have anything and he said "How about the ticket to the show?"
I still have that ticket, and I actually got it signed by Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas not long after that night.
@richsackett3423
Let's take a minute to salute the quality of the Charles and Diana impersonators.
@davidharrison7014
I'D be interested to know how the one who impersonated Princess Diana looks today; she undoubtedly would look very similar to the REAL Diana now, (had she lived).
@donreed
Quite so. They are perfect!
@therealgaragegirls
100% <3
@lisairis4842
They make you nostalgic for simpler times. If only the real Diana and Charles had a happy ending.
@davidharrison7014
@@lisairis4842 Both were alive when this video was made.
@leilanistillwell8661
Wow.. I was 21 years old in 1983. 60 now. What beautiful memories this song brings back to me.
It’s so amazing to me, how music can take you back to a place of complete peace. While listening to this song in particular and remembering some of the best moments and memories of my life. Amazing.
💕 🌬 Thanks Elvis.
@pjhey947
I was 22 in 1983….The 80s were a great time to spend most of our 20s!!
@vincentskinner3250
Same mate
I’m I that old? 😂
@escapemac
Back when I thought my life and career were going to turn out awesome. If I knew then what I know now.