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.
Jack Of All Parades
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My old love lines were all worn out on you
And the world walked 'round my mouth
They lit me up and they snuffed me out
And I was everybody's boy
But soon that thrill just fades
To be the love of one true heart
You won't know who to thank
You won't know who to blame
It's just a part of the murdering game
'Cause down in the fleshpots
Where they pay you in pounds
They're laughing like drains
And baying like bloodhounds
For the jack of all parades
For the jack of all parades
Once I knew a girl
That looked so much like Judy Garland
That people would stop and give her money
And everybody was Frankie, Jimmy or Bobby
Not the jack, not the jack of all parades,
Oh the jack, the jack of all parades,
Oh the jack, of all parades.
Well the way that I feel is no longer news
You know my love and how to refuse it
'Cause you know where the door is
And how to use it
Oh you know you do
From my checkered past
To this shattered terrace
Where you can't keep your mind off
The crimes of Paris
And you can't keep your peace
Try to forget it
And I can't forgive you
For things you haven't done yet
I was anybody's boy
But soon that thrill just fades
To be the love of one true heart
Or the jack of all parades
When we first met I didn't know what to do
My old love lines were all worn out on you
And the world walked 'round my mouth
I didn't mean to say it
I just blurted it out
And you pretended not to notice
Or be taken aback
And I loved you there and then
It's as simple as that
Oh I was everybody's boy
But soon that thrill just fades
For to be the love of one true heart
Or the jack of all parades
To be the love of one true heart
Or the jack of all parades
Oh the jack of all parades
"Jack Of All Parades" by Elvis Costello is a deeply introspective song that characterizes the singer's search for a meaningful relationship amidst a sea of superficial affairs. He starts the song by reminiscing about the time when he first met his love interest. His former love lines had all lost their lustre when he met her, and he was at a loss for what to do. Despite his predicament, he continued to engage in several short-lived affairs, which he likens to being everyone's boy. However, the thrill of the chase eventually fades, making him contemplate whether he should pursue true love or continue to be the jack of all parades.
In the latter half of the song, Elvis Costello details his current state of being, where he finds himself unable to forget the sins he's committed in the past, in contrast to his lover. The singer seems to think that his lover is not innocent, and that she's got her own demons to battle. However, in spite of this realization, he still finds himself irrevocably in love with her. The song ends with the singer still undecided about whether to settle down with one person or to continue being a jack of all parades.
Line by Line Meaning
When we first met I didn't know what to do
I was unsure of how to act when I met you for the first time
My old love lines were all worn out on you
I had used all my romantic lines on previous partners and they didn't seem to work on you
And the world walked 'round my mouth
I was nervous and stumbled over my words when we first met
They lit me up and they snuffed me out
People's interest in me would come and go, leaving me feeling used
And I was everybody's boy
I was a people pleaser and tried to appeal to everyone
But soon that thrill just fades
The excitement of being liked by everyone eventually wore off
To be the love of one true heart
I realized that it's better to have the love of one loyal person than to have superficial attention from many
Or the jack of all parades
That being said, it can be tempting to continue to be popular and seek validation from many people
You won't know who to thank
In the end, it can be difficult to know which people to credit for your success
You won't know who to blame
Similarly, it's hard to know who to blame when things don't go as planned
It's just a part of the murdering game
This is simply a part of the competition and struggle for success
'Cause down in the fleshpots
In the nightlife and entertainment industry
Where they pay you in pounds
Where people pay to see you perform or where you earn money for your talents
They're laughing like drains
People are often cynical and mocking of performers behind the scenes
And baying like bloodhounds
Likewise, the public can be ruthless in their demands and expectations of performers
For the jack of all parades
Those who are popular and successful in the public eye
Once I knew a girl
I once knew a woman
That looked so much like Judy Garland
Who had a resemblance to the famous singer and actress
That people would stop and give her money
People would give her tips or contributions due to her resemblance to a well-known person
And everybody was Frankie, Jimmy or Bobby
All the other people who paid attention to her had similar generic names
Not the jack, not the jack of all parades
However, I didn't want to be just another ordinary admirer
Oh the jack, the jack of all parades
I wanted to be popular and adored by many people, like a celebrity
Well the way that I feel is no longer news
My emotions and feelings towards you are no longer a secret
You know my love and how to refuse it
You understand my affection for you but choose not to reciprocate
Cause you know where the door is
You are aware that you are free to leave or reject me
And how to use it
You know how to assert your independence and make your own decisions
From my checkered past
Referring to my experiences and mistakes in life
To this shattered terrace
To my current state of mind and living situation
Where you can't keep your mind off
Where your thoughts constantly return to
The crimes of Paris
The negative memories and regrets associated with a particular event or place (in this case, Paris)
And you can't keep your peace
You are unable to find inner calm or contentment
Try to forget it
Attempting to ignore or overcome negative emotions or experiences
And I can't forgive you
I struggle to let go of resentment or negative feelings towards you
For things you haven't done yet
Despite not having actually wronged me, I still hold resentment towards you
I didn't mean to say it
Referring to a previous statement or action
I just blurted it out
I impulsively said something before thinking it through
And you pretended not to notice
Despite my mistake, you chose to overlook it and not make a big deal of it
Or be taken aback
You weren't surprised or upset by my slip-up
And I loved you there and then
In that moment, I was struck by how much I cared for you
It's as simple as that
It was a straightforward and honest emotion
To be the love of one true heart
Reiterating the importance of finding genuine love and human connection
Or the jack of all parades
Despite this, I struggle with the desire for external validation and popularity
Oh the jack of all parades
Continuing to highlight the lure of being admired and loved by many people
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind