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.
When Green Eyes Turn Blue
Elvis Costello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It becomes too much
There's nothing I can say
Or I can touch
But the glory is, as it comes passing through
I know I will be there
When green eyes turn blue
Time appears to teach
There is nothing quite beyond our reach
Wits may sharpen up
Their cuts and clever flays
Let them squander all of them
You brighten up my darkest gaze
And as a consequence I can see out of the gloom
That I gathered about myself
That I thought would flatter me
What the hell was the matter with me
Every single time I approached despair
I thought of your name and you were there
I won't burden you
As promises will do
But I know I will be there
When green eyes turn blue
Elvis Costello's When Green Eyes Turn Blue is a song about finding hope and solace in the midst of despair. The song begins by talking about how sometimes the struggles of life can become overwhelming and there seems to be nothing that can be said or done to make things better. However, there is a sense of optimism that comes from the knowledge that despite everything, there is still beauty and joy in the world. This is symbolized by the line "But the glory is, as it comes passing through", suggesting that sometimes we just need to let beautiful things flow into our lives without trying to control them.
The second verse of the song continues this theme of finding hope in difficult times. Costello sings about how time teaches us that nothing is truly beyond our reach, and that even the harshest cuts and criticisms can be overcome with perseverance and determination. However, the true motivation for overcoming these obstacles comes from the love and support of those around us. The line "You brighten up my darkest gaze" suggests that the love and support of others can help us see life in a more positive light, even when things seem their bleakest.
The chorus of the song is about the singer's commitment to being there for his loved one whenever she needs him. Despite his own struggles and challenges, he promises to always be there when she is feeling down, regardless of what the future holds. The line "I won't burden you as promises will do" suggests that the singer is aware that empty promises are not helpful in times of need, but he still feels a strong sense of obligation to be there for his loved one.
Overall, When Green Eyes Turn Blue is a song about the power of love and hope in the face of adversity. Through its beautiful melodies and insightful lyrics, the song encourages us to keep pushing forward, even when things seem their most difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
Every single time
Each instance or occasion
It becomes too much
When the situation becomes overwhelming
There's nothing I can say
There are no words to express the feeling
Or I can touch
No physical action can make it better
But the glory is, as it comes passing through
But the relief is in the passage of time and the return to happier days
I know I will be there
I will be present or available for support
When green eyes turn blue
When sadness or melancholy turns to happiness and contentment
It's the same for me
I experience the same emotions
Time appears to teach
Experience leads to wisdom
There is nothing quite beyond our reach
Anything is possible with effort and perseverance
Wits may sharpen up
Intelligence and cleverness may improve
Their cuts and clever flays
Their insults and snarky remarks
Let them squander all of them
Let them waste their efforts
You brighten up my darkest gaze
You make me happier in even the darkest of times
And as a consequence I can see out of the gloom
As a result of your influence, I can see past my own sadness
That I gathered about myself
That I allowed to surround and consume me
That I thought would flatter me
That I believed would somehow make me feel better
What the hell was the matter with me
Why did I ever allow myself to feel so low?
Every single time I approached despair
Each time I felt on the brink of hopelessness
I thought of your name and you were there
You were present in my thoughts and brought comfort
I won't burden you
I won't impose on you or cause you stress
As promises will do
As making grandiose promises often does
But I know I will be there
But I will always be there for you
When green eyes turn blue
When you need comfort and support
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ww7ec2ot4n
Lyrics:
My eyes adored you
Though I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you
Like a million miles away from me
You couldn’t see how I adored you
So close, so close and yet so far
Carried your books from school
Playing make-believe you’re married to me
You were fifth grade, I was sixth
When we came to be
Walking home every day
Over Barnegat Bridge and Bay
Till we grew into the me and you
Who went our separate ways
My eyes adored you
Thought I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you
Like a million miles away from me
You couldn’t see how I adored you
So close, so close and yet so far
Headed for city lights
Climbed the ladder up to fortune and fame
I worked my fingers to the bone
Made myself a name
Funny, I seem to find
That no matter how the years unwind
Still I reminisce about the girl I miss
And the love I left behind
My eyes adored you
Though I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you
Like a million miles away from me
You couldn’t see how I adored you
So close, so close and yet so far
All my life I will remember
How warm and tender
We were way back then
Though I’m feeling blue and regrets
I know I won’t ever forget you, my childhood friend
My eyes adored you
Though I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you
Like a million miles away from me
You couldn’t see how I adored you
So close, so close and yet so far
My eyes adored you
Though I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you…
@donstevens2691
my eyes adored andrea. in1978 i was 15 she was 17. she never knew. we married others and lived our lives. found each other again 30 years later and been together ever since.
@andrerollo1068
This is great, Don. Wish you many years living together a happy life.
@sonjabax5686
Sooo Beautiful 💘💘
@steffbyrne4725
How wonderful 😀
@juanvaldo666
Congrats!!
@jonjolynch2555
Beautiful story god bless you
@robertdiehl9003
Heard this song for the first time in 40 years. Can't believe my life passed by that quickly. Enjoy every minute you have is my best advice.
@murraychadwick9362
Yes the time sure has flown by for us for sure. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was 18 y/o listening to this song on a 45 record. Falling in love with my first girlfriend. That was 45 years ago. Now I'm 61 and retired after welding for the same company for 30 years. I don't know how I stumbled upon this song today but I'm glad I did. 😊
@breezey8932
Same Hear Heare I'm 64 but Did Not Appreciate At The Time What Thoes Words Ment So Young So Innocent So Stupid
@margaritacaballero874
@@breezey8932me too