Internationally, the band is perhaps best known for popular rock hits such as "Oliver's Army" and "Pump It Up", both featuring expressive yet sardonic vocals from Costello. He reconvened the band for one-off albums and tours over the following decade, particularly from 1994 through 1996. He has also enlisted Nieve, and to a lesser extent Pete Thomas, for other recordings and performances, and this continues to the present day. Costello and Bruce Thomas have had a notoriously stormy relationship, documented in Thomas' 1990 autobiographical novel 'The Big Wheel'. The original Attractions reunited for the 'Brutal Youth & All This Useless Beauty' sessions despite Costello and Thomas' differences. Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve, along with Bruce Thomas' replacement Davey Faragher, have been a part of Costello's other most well known backing band, The Imposters.
Together, Costello and the Attractions, based out of London, England, recorded ten albums. Most of which are critically regarded as among Costello's finest. They are: 'This Year's Model' (1978); 'Armed Forces' (1979); 'Get Happy' (1980); 'Trust' (1981); 'Almost Blue' (1981); 'Imperial Bedroom' (1982); 'Punch The Clock' (1983); 'Goodbye Cruel World' (1984); 'Blood and Chocolate' (1986), and 'All This Useless Beauty' (1996). The full band plays on some, but not all, tracks on the 1994 release 'Brutal Youth', which is credited to Costello alone. In addition, The Attractions also recorded an album without Costello, titled 'Mad About the Wrong Boy', which they released in 1980.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions most recently appeared together, although they didn't play, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. The band's work has continued to receive much airplay and sell quite well over the years. 'Mad About the Wrong Boy', while obscure, has been a collectors item for many new wave and power pop fans.
No Action
Elvis Costello & The Attractions Lyrics
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I don't want to see you 'cause I don't miss you that much
I'm not a telephone junkie
I told you that we were just good friends
But when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
He's got the keys to the car, they are the keys to the kingdom
He's got ev'rything you need, it's a shame that he didn't bring them
I'm not a telephone junkie
If I'm inserting my coin, I'm doing just fine
And the things in my head start hurtin' my mind
And I think about the way things used to be
Knowing you're with him is driving me crazy
Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely
But I always disconnect it in time
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
There's no action
There's no action
There's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
The lyrics of No Action by Elvis Costello & The Attractions are characterized by a melancholic tone and a disenchanted attitude towards love and relationships. The song is about a person who has lost interest in his romantic partner and is unable to find the passion and excitement he once had in the relationship. He is not interested in physical contact, emotional connection or even communication with his partner anymore. He portrays himself as a "telephone junkie" who cannot get enough of communication but not with his partner. He tries to convince himself that their relationship was never serious enough to begin with, but the nagging feeling that he is missing out on something lingers on.
The lyric describes this frustration through the metaphor of "no action," which captures the sense of stagnation and inactivity that characterizes the singer's emotional state. He is telling everyone that he is doing fine but deep inside, he is suffering from emotional pain, agony and disturbance. He gets reminded of the past and how things used to be, and it triggers his emotions. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down" emphasizing that the singer has become disillusioned with his partner and their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to kiss you, I don't want to touch
I am not interested in being intimate with you
I don't want to see you 'cause I don't miss you that much
I don't feel a strong emotional connection to you
I'm not a telephone junkie
I'm not constantly on the phone
I told you that we were just good friends
I have made it clear that we are just friends
But when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands
When we do touch, it's a mechanical, unemotional action
There's no action
There's no real passion in our relationship
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
I am not enjoying our conversations
He's got the keys to the car, they are the keys to the kingdom
He has all the power and control in the relationship
He's got ev'rything you need, it's a shame that he didn't bring them
He has what you want, but he's not using it to make you happy
If I'm inserting my coin, I'm doing just fine
If I'm paying to use the phone, I am satisfying my own needs
And the things in my head start hurtin' my mind
My thoughts about you and him are causing me emotional pain
And I think about the way things used to be
I reminisce about happier times in our relationship
Knowing you're with him is driving me crazy
The fact that you are with him is causing me to feel insane
Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely
Sometimes I call you even when I know you are not alone
But I always disconnect it in time
But I always hang up before we have a chance to talk
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind