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.
You'll Never Be A Man
Elvis Costello & The Attractions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though the fist is mightier than the lip, it adds the aggravation
I got the password
I got persuasion
A proposition for invasion of your privacy
Give yourself away and find the fake in me
You'll never be a man
You'll never be a man
When you're half a woman and you're half awake
With a face full of tears and a chemical shake
Given half a chance, that I can take
Are you so superior, are you in such pain
Are you made out of porcelain?
When they made you they broke the cast
Don't want to be first, I just want to last
You strike a profile on the low side of my imagination
My eyes climbed down to find the point of possible saturation
I got the password
I got persuasion
A proposition for invasion of your privacy
Give yourself away and find the fake in me
You'll never be a man
No matter how many foreign bodies you can take
You'll never be a man
When you're half a woman and you're half awake
Under the table with a chemical shake
Given half a chance, that I can take
Are you so superior, are you in such pain
Are you made out of porcelain?
When they made you they broke the cast
Don't want to be first, I just want to last
The song "You'll Never Be A Man" by Elvis Costello & The Attractions seems to be about power dynamics in a romantic relationship, with the singer taking a dominant role. The idea of "protection from the physical art of conversation" implies that the singer is using physical force to control the conversation or the relationship. However, the idea that "the fist is mightier than the lip, it adds the aggravation" suggests that while physical force may be stronger, it also causes more conflict and tension.
The lyrics then transition into the singer asserting their power in the relationship, claiming to have the "password" and "persuasion" to invade their partner's privacy. They ask their partner to "give yourself away and find the fake in me", implying that they are hiding something or pretending to be someone they're not. The repeated line, "You'll never be a man", seems to be the singer's way of asserting dominance and emasculating their partner, saying that no matter how many sexual partners they have or how much they try to assert themselves, they will never truly be a man as long as the singer holds the power.
The chorus also includes the lines "Are you made out of porcelain? When they made you they broke the cast", implying that the partner is fragile or easily broken, and that the singer is the only one who can handle them. The overall tone of the song is one of dominance and control, with the singer exerting power over their partner and emasculating them.
Line by Line Meaning
You need protection from the physical art of conversation
You struggle to communicate effectively in interactions with others.
Though the fist is mightier than the lip, it adds the aggravation
Using violence in response to verbal conflict only makes things worse.
I got the password
I have figured out how to access your personal information.
I got persuasion
I am skilled at convincing others to do what I want.
A proposition for invasion of your privacy
I am proposing to violate your boundaries by intruding on your personal life.
Give yourself away and find the fake in me
If you reveal your weaknesses to me, I will expose my true intentions.
You'll never be a man
You will never fully mature into an adult.
No matter how many foreign bodies you can take
No matter how many sexual partners you have, it won't make you a man.
When you're half a woman and you're half awake
You are not fully conscious or aware of your own identity.
With a face full of tears and a chemical shake
You are emotional and potentially under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Given half a chance, that I can take
If given the opportunity, I will exploit your vulnerability.
Are you so superior, are you in such pain
Are you acting entitled or suffering emotionally?
Are you made out of porcelain?
Are you fragile or easily broken?
When they made you they broke the cast
You are unique and irreplaceable.
Don't want to be first, I just want to last
I am not interested in being a trendsetter, I just want to be remembered.
You strike a profile on the low side of my imagination
You do not meet my expectations or standards.
My eyes climbed down to find the point of possible saturation
I am searching for the limit of what I can handle or tolerate.
Under the table with a chemical shake
You are hiding your emotional state and using drugs or alcohol to cope.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind