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.
Strict Time
Elvis Costello & The Attractions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can hear you knocking but I'm not coming out
Don't want to be a puppet or a ventriloquist
'Cause there's no ventilation on a critical list
Fingers creeping up my spine are not mine to resist
Strict time
Toughen up, toughen up
Strict time
Oh the muscles flex and the fingers curl
And a cold sweat breaks out on a sweater girl
Strict time
Oh he's all hands, don't touch that dial
The courting cold wars weekend witch trial
Strict time
All the boys are straight laced and the girls are frigid
The talk is two-faced and the rules are rigid 'cause it's strict time
Strict time
Toughen up, toughen up
Keep your lip buttoned up
Strict time
You talk in hushed tones, I talk in lush tones
Try to look Italian through the musical Valium
Strict time
Thinking of grand larceny
Smoking the everlasting cigarette of chastity
Cute assistants staying alive
More like a hand job than the hand jive
Strict time
Toughen up, toughen up
Keep your lip buttoned up
Strict time
Toughen up, toughen up
Keep your lip buttoned up
Strict time
Strict time
Strict time
Strict time
The lyrics of Elvis Costello's song "Strict Time" can be interpreted as a commentary on the repressive social and cultural norms of the time. The first two lines, "There's a hand on a wire that leads to my mouth / I can hear you knocking but I'm not coming out," suggest a sense of entrapment, perhaps in a relationship or in society in general. The following lines, "Don't want to be a puppet or a ventriloquist / 'Cause there's no ventilation on a critical list," further emphasize the suffocating feeling of being controlled or silenced.
The chorus, "Toughen up, toughen up / Keep your lip buttoned up / Strict time," seems to be a call to resist this oppression, to strengthen oneself against it, and to not speak out against it. The following verses continue to paint a picture of a society where the rules are rigid, the talk is two-faced, and the girls are frigid. The lines "Thinking of grand larceny / Smoking the everlasting cigarette of chastity" suggest a desire to break free from these confines, but also a sense of futility in doing so.
Overall, the lyrics of "Strict Time" convey a sense of frustration and rebellion against societal norms, while also acknowledging the difficulty of breaking away from them.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a hand on a wire that leads to my mouth
I am being controlled, unable to speak or act on my own.
I can hear you knocking but I'm not coming out
I am aware of what is happening to me, but I cannot or will not do anything about it.
Don't want to be a puppet or a ventriloquist
I am resisting the idea of being controlled by someone else.
'Cause there's no ventilation on a critical list
I am in a bad situation and cannot easily escape it.
Fingers creeping up my spine are not mine to resist
I am being physically touched without my consent or control.
Strict time
The situation is rigid and unchanging, offering no relief or release.
Oh the muscles flex and the fingers curl
My body is reacting against my will.
And a cold sweat breaks out on a sweater girl
The situation is causing me anxiety and an unpleasant physical response.
Oh he's all hands, don't touch that dial
The person in power is being inappropriate and dangerous.
The courting cold wars weekend witch trial
The situation is drawing on different, sometimes contradictory, societal expectations and values.
All the boys are straight laced and the girls are frigid
The situation imposes strict gender roles that are harmful and suppressive.
The rules are rigid 'cause it's strict time
The situation is authoritarian and controlling, with little regard for individual needs or values.
You talk in hushed tones, I talk in lush tones
There is a difference in how we approach and respond to the situation.
Try to look Italian through the musical Valium
We are trying to escape the reality of the situation by finding solace in something fantasy or escapist.
Thinking of grand larceny
We are imagining ways to break free from the oppressive situation and assert our own desires.
Smoking the everlasting cigarette of chastity
We are using drugs or other means to alleviate the discomfort of our situation, without actually changing it.
Cute assistants staying alive
We are relying on others to help us through the situation.
More like a hand job than the hand jive
The situation is exploitative and one-sided, offering no real satisfaction or pleasure.
Strict time
The situation has not changed and remains oppressive.
Toughen up, toughen up
We need to find inner strength and resilience to endure and overcome the situation.
Keep your lip buttoned up
We need to maintain our silence and not speak out, for fear of making the situation worse.
Strict time
The situation endures, offering no relief or release.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind