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.
Sleepless Nights
Elvis Costello & The Attractions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And wonder who is kissing you
Oh, these sleepless nights
Will break my heart in two
Somehow, through the day, I don't give in
I hide the tears that wait within
Oh, these sleepless nights
Why did you go?
Oh, why did you go?
Don't you know, don't you know
I need you?
Through the sleepless nights, I cry for you
And wonder who is kissing you
Oh, these sleepless nights
Will break my heart in two
Oh, oh, oh, oh, these sleepless nights
Will break my heart in two
Oh, oh, oh, oh, these sleepless nights
Will break my heart in two
The lyrics of Elvis Costello & The Attractions's song "Sleepless Nights" express the intense pain and heartbreak felt by the singer after a breakup. The repetition of the phrase "sleepless nights" emphasizes the enduring grief and insomnia that the singer has been forced to endure since the loss of their loved one. The lyrics delve deep into the agony of loving someone who doesn't reciprocate that love, as the singer cries for their ex-partner, wondering who they might be kissing now.
Despite putting on a façade of strength during the day, the singer can't escape the sadness that engulfs them, hiding the tears that wait within. The chorus's plea, "Why did you go?" reveals the singer's desperation to understand the reasons for their lover's departure. The final lines of the song, "Oh, oh, oh, oh, these sleepless nights, will break my heart in two," emphasize the ultimate devastation left by a love that has vanished. It is clear that "Sleepless Nights" is a song about the lingering pain of heartbreak, and the longing for a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the sleepless nights, I cry for you
During the sleepless nights, I weep in sorrow for you
And wonder who is kissing you
As I cry, I wonder who is kissing you instead of me
Oh, these sleepless nights
These restless nights filled with tears
Will break my heart in two
Are enough to shatter my heart into pieces
Somehow, through the day, I don't give in
Throughout the day, I manage to hold back my tears and emotions
I hide the tears that wait within
I conceal the tears that are ready to flow at any moment
Why did you go?
Why did you leave and abandon me?
Oh, why did you go?
Oh, how I wish you had stayed
Don't you know, don't you know
Can't you see and understand
I need you?
That I need you in my life?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, these sleepless nights
These sleepless and lonely nights
Will break my heart in two
Are enough to tear my brokenhearted soul apart
Oh, oh, oh, oh, these sleepless nights
These nights of endless insomnia
Will break my heart in two
Are enough to ruin me completely
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, HOUSE OF BRYANT PUBLICATIONS
Written by: Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scotteckert3110
beautiful version
@angel1329us
perfect...
@kristinahunt4400
Anyone know the piano chords to this version?
@cityzen2717
It's tricky and changes keys.