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.
Girls Talk
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought I heard you mention my name, can`t you talk any louder?
Don`t come any closer, don`t come any nearer
My vision of you can`t get any clearer
Oh, I just want to hear girls talk
I got a loaded imagination being fired by girls talk
But I can`t say the words you want to hear
I suppose you`re going to have to play it by ear
Girls talk and they want to know how
Girls talk and they say it`s not allowed
Girls talk, if they say that it`s so
Don`t you think that I know by now
That the word up on everyone`s lips
Stick that you`re dedicated
Though you may not be an old fashioned girl
You`re still going to get dated
Was it really murder?
Were you just pretending?
Lately I have heard you are the living end
Girls talk and they want to know about her
Girls talk, they want to know if I care
Girls talk and they want to know where
Girls talk girls talk
In Elvis Costello's song "Girls Talk", the straightforward lyrics tell the story of a conversation between two people. The singer is frustrated that the person they are talking to isn't being direct enough with them. The first verse talks about hiding behind lipstick and powder, suggesting that someone is hiding behind a façade. The second verse implies that the singer has feelings for the person they are talking to and mentions their "loaded imagination" firing with "girls talk", but can't seem to express themselves in the way the other person wants. There is a sense of urgency in the lyrics as the conversation is happening "right here and now."
In the chorus, the singer acknowledges and celebrates "girls talk", knowing that it's a natural part of social interaction. However, there's a hint of frustration in the second line, as "they say it's not allowed", suggesting that there are societal expectations that try to silence women's conversations. The last line of the chorus repeats the sentiment from the first verse, where the singer is aware of what's being discussed behind their back.
The final verse is the most mysterious, hinting at possible deceit and murder. The line "were you just pretending" could reference someone acting as if they cared for the singer, but they didn't mean it. The line "you are the living end" could mean that the person they are talking to is causing them distress. The chorus repeats with slight variations in the final lines of each section, continuing the idea that "girls talk" is a topic of interest.
Line by Line Meaning
There are some things you can`t cover up with lipstick and powder
You can't hide everything by applying makeup.
I thought I heard you mention my name, can`t you talk any louder?
I think I heard you say my name, can you please speak louder?
Don`t come any closer, don`t come any nearer
Please don't come any closer to me.
My vision of you can`t get any clearer
I already see you clearly and there's nothing left to see.
Oh, I just want to hear girls talk
I just want to listen to what girls are saying.
I got a loaded imagination being fired by girls talk
I have a vivid imagination from listening to what girls talk about.
But I can`t say the words you want to hear
I can't say what you want me to say.
I suppose you`re going to have to play it by ear
You have to handle this situation as it comes.
Girls talk and they want to know how
Girls ask questions and want to know how things work.
Girls talk and they say it`s not allowed
Girls say things that are not socially acceptable.
Girls talk, if they say that it`s so
Girls say things that may be true or false.
Don`t you think that I know by now
I already know about it.
That the word up on everyone`s lips
Everyone is talking about it.
Stick that you`re dedicated
You are loyal to a certain thing.
Though you may not be an old fashioned girl
Even though you're not a traditional girl.
You`re still going to get dated
You will still participate in dating in the future.
Was it really murder?
Was there really a homicide?
Were you just pretending?
Were you just pretending to do something?
Lately I have heard you are the living end
I've heard that you're the best or the living embodiment of something.
Girls talk and they want to know about her
Girls ask questions about a specific person.
Girls talk, they want to know if I care
Girls want to know whether or not I care about something.
Girls talk and they want to know where
Girls want to know the location of something.
Girls talk girls talk
Girls do a lot of talking.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Zummo
Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson were the 2 in steady rotation for my entire HS years great memories
Thom67
Such a catchy song. Pure pop brilliance.
Marty Jewell
Man, this song brings me back to the "good ol days" of FM radio in NYC. The premier rock station was WNEW 102.7 FM where rock lived. Think I saw (seen??) him do this live at one of the summertime pier concerts on Pier 84. One of my favorite Costello songs. At 70 years old I still think this is cool.
Charlie Honig
Saw Him at Pier 84 too, Great Concert.
Adrian Monk
It has aged Very Well.... I HAVE NOT. Enjoy the Ride while you can.
Ralph Ciardella
Saw
John Vogel
This song and this album just took my heart in '80 ❤️
mc2 mc2
Yeah, Ronstadt did a real good cover...but Dave Edmunds and Rockpile is the best!
André Ferrari
Dave is the best, but linda is better than Elvis... Can't understand a word he is singing here.
Wombat Willy
By a wide margin