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.
Let's Misbehave
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you should;
Yes you should.
Only one thing stops you dear:
You're too good;
Way too good!
If you want a future, darlin',
'Cause that fateful moment's comin' at last...
We're all alone, no chaperone
Can get our number
The world's in slumber--let's misbehave!!!
There's something wild about you child
That's so contagious
Let's be outrageous--let's misbehave!!!
When Adam won Eve's hand
He wouldn't stand for teasin'.
He didn't care about those apples out of season.
They say that Spring means just one little thing to little lovebirds
We're not above birds--let's misbehave!!!
It's getting late and while I wait
My poor heart aches on
Why keep the breaks on? Let's misbehave!!!
I feel quite sure affaire d'amour
Would be attractive
While we're still active, let's misbehave!
You know my heart is true
And you say you for me care...
Somebody's sure to tell,
But what the heck do we care?
They say that bears have love affairs
And even camels
We're merely mammals--let's misbehave!!!
In Elvis Costello's song "Let's Misbehave," the singer addresses a woman who is too good for her own good. He encourages her to take more risks, get a past, and be a little more wild. He suggests that the fateful moment is coming where she will have missed her chance if she does not act soon. The chorus urges the woman to join him in misbehaving, taking advantage of their alone time, and being a little outrageous. The last verse compares their tryst to those in nature, pointing out that even animals have love affairs.
The song seems to be a playful and flirtatious invitation to let go of inhibitions and have some fun, creating a sense of urgency before it's too late. Costello's interpretation of Cole Porter's classic tune is passionate and youthful, with a hint of nostalgia for the roaring '20s. The lyrics themselves could be interpreted as a commentary on societal expectations of women, with Costello urging the woman to break free from the shackles of propriety and embrace her wild side.
Line by Line Meaning
You could have a great career,
You have potential for success in your profession.
And you should;
It would be wise to pursue your career aspirations.
Yes you should.
You have enough talent to make a great career, you just need to put in the effort.
Only one thing stops you dear:
There is only one obstacle standing in the way of your success.
You're too good;
You may be held back because you are too cautious and risk-averse.
Way too good!
You could take more risks and push yourself harder to achieve even greater success.
If you want a future, darlin',
If you want to have a successful future.
Why don't you get a past?
Perhaps you should explore some past experiences that can help you grow and develop as a person.
'Cause that fateful moment's comin' at last...
There will come a moment when you may face a difficult decision or situation that will require you to take action.
We're all alone, no chaperone
We are without a guide or mentor to keep us on track.
Can get our number
No one can control us, we are free to act as we see fit.
The world's in slumber--let's misbehave!!!
Everyone else is sleeping, let's take advantage of this opportunity to have some fun and ignore the rules.
There's something wild about you child
You have an adventurous spirit that is infectious.
That's so contagious
You inspire others to let go of their inhibitions and have fun.
Let's be outrageous--let's misbehave!!!
We should go beyond our normal limits and have a wild and crazy night.
When Adam won Eve's hand
Refers to the biblical tale of Adam and Eve.
He wouldn't stand for teasin'.
Adam didn't like to be teased by Eve.
He didn't care about those apples out of season.
He didn't let the story of the forbidden fruit get in the way of his love for Eve.
They say that Spring means just one little thing to little lovebirds
Spring is associated with romance and love.
We're not above birds--let's misbehave!!!
Just like birds, we should embrace the natural desire to engage in romantic behavior and disregard societal norms.
It's getting late and while I wait
Time is running out.
My poor heart aches on
You are feeling anxious and nervous.
Why keep the breaks on? Let's misbehave!!!
Stop holding back and take risks in order to live life to the fullest.
I feel quite sure affaire d'amour
I am confident that a romantic relationship is what we need.
Would be attractive
It would be desirable for us to be romantically involved.
While we're still active, let's misbehave!
While we are still alive and have energy, we should make the most of it and be adventurous.
You know my heart is true
You can trust that I am sincere in my feelings for you.
And you say you for me care...
You claim to have feelings for me.
Somebody's sure to tell,
Others might find out about our relationship.
But what the heck do we care?
We don't care what other people think, we should pursue our feelings for each other regardless of the consequences.
They say that bears have love affairs
Even animals engage in romantic behavior.
And even camels
Even seemingly unromantic animals have been known to form romantic bonds.
We're merely mammals--let's misbehave!!!
Since we are also mammals, we should feel free to engage in romantic behavior and live our lives with passion and adventure.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulnewman2000
You could have a great career
And you should, yes you should
Only one thing stops you dear
You're too good, you're way too good
If you want a future darling why don't you get a past?
'Cos that fatal moment's coming at last
We're all alone, no chaperone can get our number
The world's in slumber, let's misbehave
There's something wild about you child
That's so contagious
Let's be outrageous, let's misbehave
When Adam won Eve's hand he wouldn't stand for teasin'
He didn't care about those apples out of season
They say that Spring means just one thing
To two little lovebirds
We're not above birds, let's misbehave
Let's be bad, oh let's be naughty
Let's be awful, let's misbehave
We could get up to no good and play at hanky panky
Let's be mischievous and let's misbehave
If you'd be sweet and only meet your fate dear
'Twould be the great event of 1928, dear
We could be irredeemably reprehensible
So quickly, let's wickedly misbehave.
(Spoken) Let's misbehave
It's getting late, and while I wait
My poor heart aches on
Why keep the brakes on, let's misbehave
I feel quite sure un coeur d'amour would be attractive
While we're still active, let's misbehave
You know my heart is true, and you say you for me care
Somebody's sure to tell, but what the hell do we care
They say that bears have love affairs
And even camels
We're men and mammals, let's misbehave.
@isabellam4428
You could have a great career,
And you should;
Yes you should.
Only one thing stops you dear:
You're too good;
Way too good!
If you want a future, darlin',
Why don't you get a past?
'Cause that fateful moment's comin' at last...
We're all alone, no chaperone
Can get our number
The world's in slumber--let's misbehave!!!
There's something wild about you child
That's so contagious
Let's be outrageous--let's misbehave!!!
When Adam won Eve's hand
He wouldn't stand for teasin'.
He didn't care about those apples out of season.
They say that Spring means just one little thing to little lovebirds
We're not above birds--let's misbehave!!!
It's getting late and while I wait
My poor heart aches on
Why keep the breaks on? Let's misbehave!!!
I feel quite sure affaire d'amour
Would be attractive
While we're still active, let's misbehave!
You know my heart is true
And you say you for me care...
Somebody's sure to tell,
But what the heck do we care?
They say that bears have love affairs
And even camels
We're merely mammals--let's misbehave!!!
@Alonsoville
I wish Elvis Costello would sing more pieces like this. He has a great range.
@Juliajett19
They could not have picked anyone else; Elvis Costello did a superb job singing this song!!
@marielacey7928
Elvis Costello Dad was a big band singer so you could say it was in his blood
@maureen1938
AWESOME....I loved the film "De-Lovely" Cole Porter's music is fantastic. Thanks for posting this.
@davejeanes
Great movie.
@tabbycat3t
I simply adore this version! Thankx ever so for posting!
@MAThompsonFrenk
I simply ADORE this song!!! It's sooo much fun!
@hollingum
That fiddle solo swings so hard
@kecammacek
Love it!
@Phaedrax2
I came across this version whilst looking for the one by Johnny Mathis. The 2 versions could not be more different! But love them both.