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.
Watching the Detectives
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
She is watching the detectives
Ooh, he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot at that jumping sign
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says, "We never close"
He snatched at you and you match his cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
She is watching the detectives
Ooh, he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
Oh, when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
Just like watching the detectives
Don't get cute
It's just like watching the detectives
Oh, I get so angry when the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Watching the detectives
It's just like watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
The lyrics of Elvis Costello's song "Watching The Detectives" depict a man who watches the detectives who are investigating a crime, while also describing his infatuation with a woman who he sees as "perfect" and "shrink-wrapped." The woman is also watching the detectives, and both she and the man seem to enjoy the excitement, even when violence ensues. The lyrics suggest a larger theme of voyeurism, apathy towards violence, and the darker side of human behavior.
The first verse describes the woman as flawless, both physically and metaphorically. The man is so taken with her that he begs for her attention. However, in the second verse, the scene turns dark as the detectives beat up a suspect. Despite the violence, both the man and the woman appear to be entertained by watching the events unfold. The song concludes with a twist, as the man realizes that the detectives are now watching him, and he becomes afraid.
The lyrics of "Watching The Detectives" suggest a commentary on the nature of human behavior and the role of violence in society. Through a dark narrative, Costello describes the sexualization of violence and our culture's obsession with it. The song also suggests that those who stand by and watch violence unfold are just as guilty as those who commit it.
Line by Line Meaning
Nice girls, not one with a defect
He is observing the women around him and is attracted to a particular beautiful woman.
Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
He is expressing his awe of a woman's perfect, put-together exterior that seems too good to be true.
Red dogs under illegal legs
He is describing a woman who wears short skirts or shorts and high heels in a way that draws attention to her legs.
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
He is exaggerating his attraction to a woman by suggesting that he would do anything for her, even beg on his knees.
She is watching the detectives
He switches from describing his attraction to a woman to narrating a scene of someone else, perhaps the woman he is attracted to, watching detectives.
Ooh, he's so cute
She is commenting on the attractive appearance of a detective.
When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
She is excited by the action on her television screen, and uses repetition to emphasize the rapid firing of gunshots.
They beat him up until the teardrops start
She is describing a violent scene where the detectives are beating up someone until they cry.
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
There is a sense of cynicism in this line as it implies the person being beaten up has no emotions left and cannot feel pain.
Long shot at that jumping sign
He switches back to narrating his own experience, describing seeing a sign from far away.
Invisible shivers running down my spine
He is affected emotionally by what he sees and feels a chill down his spine, but it is not visible to others.
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Another scene change, this time to a woman undressing.
Close-up of the sign that says, "We never close"
He zooms in on the sign that implies the establishment is always open, suggesting the illicit nature of what is happening inside.
He snatched at you and you match his cigarette
He is describing a situation where a man grabs a woman and they make eye contact while he lights a cigarette.
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
He describes the magnetic effect a woman has on men, specifically the way she seems to get them to look at her.
I don't know how much more of this I can take
He is at his breaking point with the events he has been describing and reaching his emotional limit.
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
He describes a woman going about her everyday grooming habits while something nefarious is happening outside which shows a lack of empathy.
You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
He feels like he is alone but then later notices that not only is he part of what is happening, but he is also being watched.
Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit
He describes the mixed emotions of fear and love in a situation where they coexist but cannot both be felt equally.
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
He criticizes the system, which often turns a blind eye to something until it reaches a crisis point and then labels it 'instant justice.'
Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?
He is describing the feeling of being watched and how that can escalate into paranoia if someone or something is perceived to be trying to make contact with him.
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
He returns to describing a detective and his actions, this time in the context of a missing person's case.
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
He describes the heartbreaking situation of parents, hoping for the best for their child but fearing the worst in a case of a missing person.
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
He switches back to his personal experience, describing how he felt fortunate to have caught the woman's attention and kept it.
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
He uses a metaphor to describe how easily he could lose the woman he was chasing, emphasizing how fickle their connection really was.
Just like watching the detectives
He repeats this line, emphasizing how much everything he sees and experiences feels like it's part of a detective story.
Don't get cute
He warns others around him to take the situation seriously and not to overplay what's happening.
Oh, I get so angry when the teardrops start
He describes his conflicting emotions of feeling anger when others cry even though he may feel emotional on the inside himself.
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
He repeats this line, calling back to an earlier part of the song, to drive home the point that the character cannot emotionally connect.
Watching the detectives
The line is repeated, closing out the song and bringing the themes of observation and detachment full circle.
They're watching the detectives
This part is sung by a group, suggesting that everyone is watching someone else and that observation is a two-way street.
They're watching the detectives
This line is repeated again and emphasizes how pervasive the theme of observation is throughout the song.
Watching the detectives
This final repetition of the song's title closes out the track by driving home that this song is all about watching and observing others.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elvis Costello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vincentkilpatrick3808
Love BT, but the original version was:
Personnel -
Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar
Andrew Bodnar – bass
Steve Goulding – drums
Steve Nieve – piano, organ
The rhythm section for The Rumour played on the studio version. One of my favorite backing pieces of music ever. And I LOVE The Attractions too.
@jeffreybarkin3177
SADLY...
We RARELY HEAR this on STREAMING or Traditional RADIO!
WHAT A TUNE!
It's Clearly a Song about a "Loved One" whose Husband is MISSING, and SHE 'S watching to See if the Body will be found...
Naturally, She has The INSURANCE Coverage!!!
😮
@ayushtaylorsversion1253
💓 Lyrics :
Nice girls, not one with a defect
Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, it's so cute"
She's watching the detectives
When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot of that jumping sign
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says: "We never close"
You snatch a chill and you match a cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
She is watching the detectives
"Oh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
Oh, and they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Now baby's here to stay, love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder, who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
Just like watching the detectives
Don't get cute
Just like watching the detectives
I get so angry when the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Watching the detectives
It's just like watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
We're watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
@thejohnson9204
2024.... This song is epic! The story... the vibe... outrageously good.
@fredrayworth4798
My favorite EC song. That chord progression is killer.
@surfinwax58
MONSTER BASS too!
@user-qx2pd2yh7k
He will arrive, in a blink of the eye 🐑🕊
@cynthiarobertson5523
Was 12 yrs old when my big brother played this 4 me! ❤❤❤ Now he's 63 and I'm 58! Love you, big brother. ❤❤❤
@Melynnest
Yep my big sis is 8 years old than me and would play this when I was a kid too lol 😊
@carlr0gers417
I'm his age you gotta' cool as shit big brother.😁
@cynthiarobertson5523
Thanks Carl! I do have a cool as shit big brother! Two of them actually!!! 😊❤
@johncassidy3071
"She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake" is one of the most evocative lines in pop.
@VolksdeutscheSS
You're right, John. But don't forget about when Elvis said, "overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed." That was amusing as well.