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.
Oh Well
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sitting helpless with my paper and charts
I had to follow my passion, oh well
I don't get paid that much for all I deserve
To waste a sentence or shatter my nerves
I had to follow my passion, oh well
I'd give it all up but it's my pride
Oh well, oh well
I had a dream once or so I thought
I'd be a pilot or an astronaut
I had a dream like that until I found
Even an astronaut goes into the ground
Life is just passing us bye, bye
Oh well, oh well, oh well, oh well
In Elvis Costello's song "Oh Well," the singer is experiencing the common existential crisis of questioning the value of his work and the purpose of his life in general. He admits that he doesn't get paid enough for his efforts, and the idea of wasting a sentence or shattering his nerves is discouraging. However, he resolves to continue following his passion despite these struggles.
The line "I had a dream once, or so I thought/ I'd be a pilot or an astronaut" emphasizes the temporary nature of youthful ambitions and the harsh reality of adulthood. Even if one's childhood dreams were more exciting, the singer acknowledges that they too eventually face death: "Even an astronaut goes into the ground." The chorus underscores this theme of resignation and acceptance with the repeated lyrics of "Oh well."
These lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and disillusionment with the current state of one's life, but also an acceptance of the limitations and impermanence of existence. The singer recognizes that life is passing by and may not turn out as planned, but he persists in pursuing his passion anyway.
Line by Line Meaning
The ink is running, the words are taught
I am struggling to find the right words, and the ink is smudging as I write.
I'm sitting helpless with my paper and charts
I am feeling powerless in my current situation, despite all of the research and planning I have done.
I had to follow my passion, oh well
I pursued my dreams and passions, even if it doesn't always lead to financial or practical success.
I don't get paid that much for all I deserve
I feel undervalued and underpaid for all of the effort and hard work I put into my job.
To waste a sentence or shatter my nerves
It is emotionally draining and discouraging to put so much effort into something that may not even be appreciated.
Sometimes I long to run outside
Occasionally, I wish I could just escape my current situation or responsibilities by going outside and experiencing a different environment.
I'd give it all up but it's my pride
Even if I am unhappy, I feel too proud or invested in my current situation to just give it all up.
I had a dream once or so I thought
I had a vision for my future, or a career path that I thought was perfect for me.
I'd be a pilot or an astronaut
When I was younger, I imagined myself in a career that was more exciting or adventurous than my current job.
I had a dream like that until I found
I eventually discovered that the dream job I previously idolized isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Even an astronaut goes into the ground
No matter how much success or excitement you experience in life, ultimately we will all eventually face the same end.
Life is just passing us bye, bye
The fleeting nature of our lives is something to be acknowledged and treasured, as time seems to slip away quickly.
Oh well, oh well, oh well, oh well
Despite all of the obstacles and struggles I may face in life, I acknowledge the reality of my situation and choose to continue forward with a sense of acceptance and resolution.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO, KAMAAL IBN JOHN FAREED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind