If you’re just joining us, check out the About This Project link for details. Basically, I make playlists of all the singles by certain musical artists and then try to order them using the guiding principle “do I like each song more than the last song.” I define “single” in a broad enough way to include any song that was released as a purchasable single in any format in any country; as a promotional single in any country; as a video; or generally any song that I know charted anywhere. My main sources are Wikipedia (mostly reliable) and Discogs (reasonably reliable). I welcome editing feedback since sometimes I favor speed over spelling.
In my continuing quest to expose you all to some of Elvis Costello’s records that have no singles associated with them (I shared info about his classical work Il Sogno in the 51-60 entry and about For The Stars, his collaboration with Anne Sofie von Otter in the previous entry), allow me to introduce you to a great little gem, Piano Jazz: McPartland/Costello. The delightful and extremely talented pianist Marian McPartland hosted the show Piano Jazz on NPR for a few decades. This album is essentially a recording of the episode where she had Costello as a guest and they have a great music nerd conversation and perform a number of jazz and pop standards with McPartland on piano and Costello on vocal. I won my copy during a Hawaii Public Radio pledge drive. Highlights include “My Funny Valentine,” “Gloomy Sunday” and especially “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” Highly recommended if you like music nerdery and great piano work.
40. Jimmie Standing In the Rain
Limited edition 78rpm single from National Ransom (2010), released as a single in 2010
Lyric I Especially Like:
Her soft breath was gentle on his neck
If he could choose the time to die
Then he would come and go like this
Underneath a painted sky
She woke up and called him “Charlie” by mistake
And then in shame began to cry
We’ve already listened to part #2 of this story – “Under Lime” (#49) – but this first part is both the song I prefer better and, in my opinion, the finest of Costello’s songs from his two album bluegrass period (the men over at Elvis Costello Song of The Week would argue that the best was “You Hung The Moon,” and I could be persuaded). Costello sets each of the songs off of National Ransom in a different year. This one takes place in 1939 – the end of the pre-war era and the start of World War 2. Jimmie, the singing Vaudeville cowboy, is suddenly out of fashion. The train is pulling away from the station and he’s literally being left behind in the rain. The thing that really makes this song work for me, though, is the interplay of Costello’s guitar, Stuart Duncan’s fiddle and Darrell Leonard’s trumpet. Costello plays rhythm through most of the song while Duncan and Leonard color in the melancholy. It’s particularly lovely and makes me ache for poor Jimmie.
What I Love – In addition to what I just discussed, I think Costello’s vocal delivery on this one evokes empathy for his title character.
39. Let Them All Talk
(Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
Third single from Punch the Clock (1983), released as a single in 1983
Lyric I Especially Like:
Do the world a service
And you could do yourself a favour
Whose tongue now is tasting last week’s flavour
Punch the Clock has a bit of a mixed reputation among the Elvis Costello fans I know. Some regard it as a last great album in his early run before crashing on Goodbye Cruel World while others view is as the start of that crash. I’ve got to say, I’ve listened to this album at least as much as his others with The Attractions and there are at least four absolute classic songs – this one, “Pills and Soap” (coming up), “Shipbuilding” (coming up) and “The World and His Wife” (not a single). And, honestly, “Everyday I Write The Book” (#51), “The Invisible Man” and “T.K.O. (Boxing Day)” are fine songs as well. In the liner notes, Costello discusses how he selected Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley as the producers for Punch the Clock in part because they “knew where the charts were but they also made great records.” They invited in an extensive horn section led by Big Jim Paterson on trombone as well as former Dexy’s Midnight Runners saxophonists Paul Speare and Jeff Blythe and trumpet player Dave Plews. As was previous discussed, they also employed Afrodiziak (Caron Wheeler and Claudia Fontaine) as backing vocalists. Together with The Attractions, this disparate elements came together to make a glorious upbeat – almost frantic – piece of pop music.
What I Love – Afrodiziak on backing vocals elevate this song significantly. Talk talk talk!
38. Mr. and Mrs. Hush
(Elvis Costello and The Imposters)
Lyric video from Look Now (2018), video released in 2019
Lyric I Especially Like:
You know I love you
Is it ever enough?
As regular readers are aware, I am a huge fan of interesting backing vocals. On “Mr. & Mrs. Hush,” Costello, Imposters bassist Davey Faragher and his brother Tommy form a great little vocal group that sings snippets of the song’s subtext. I read the lyrics as an exploration of how unfounded jealousy can sour a relationship – it starts with the narrator entering a house of mirrors that distorts his “suspicions and fears” and blossoms into a great backing vocal refrain of “I thought I saw her.” The title is thus a description of the new status of the relationship – he’s sneaking around and he thinks she’s sneaking. The brass section on the song is terrific, but really the whole piece is an upbeat, rollicking piece of pop soul and one of the catchiest songs Costello has written this decade. There are several songs on Look Now that I’ve put in the top 40 because the album is genuinely one of his finest. It’s become a cliche in rock to say “this is so and so’s best album since…” but no kidding, this is one of his best albums.
What I Love – There’s this great dynamic shift that happens twice in the song – once at the start and once after the return to the verse after the bridge. You can’t miss it.
37. Cinco Minutos Con Vos (Remix)
(Elvis Costello and The Roots)
Lyric video from Wise Up: Thought (2013)
Lyric I Especially Like:
I stood at the kerb trying not to disturb
The dark carnival crew and a glittering voice
Far off there said, “Rejoice”
“As the casualties are but few”
As I’ve mentioned before, it was important to me that Wise Up Ghost was properly represented on this list. “Cinco Minutos Con Vos” is one of my favorite tracks on that album – a slinky, almost spooky groove with some amazing horn work from The Roots. This particular lyric video, however, is actually from the remix EP Wise Up: Thought and features Roots lead rapper Black Thought who expands on the general story of the lyrics (both the original and his lyrics are here). I’m ranking this song here with respect to both versions – I like them both, though I admit I favor the original a bit. I really like how Black Thought responds to and expands on Costello’s lyrics, creating something entirely new.
What I Love – Those horns.
36. Jacksons, Monk And Rowe
(Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet)
Single from The Juliet Letters (1993), released as a single in 1993
Lyric I Especially Like:
Long ago when we were kids and we cut your hair to bits
As we carried off like spoils
The heads we’d smash right off your dolls
You’ll note that I’ve kept my entries on the individual songs brief so far. That’s because this is going to be a novel.
The Juliet Letters is Elvis Costello’s magnificent collaboration with The Brodsky Quartet, a British string quartet that has been active since 1972. It falls chronologically between Mighty Like The Rose and Brutal Youth in his discography. Prior to this album, Costello had of course released two albums of country music (Almost Blue and King of America) as well as an R&B themed album (Get Happy!!). My impression in 1993 was that a classical song cycle inspired by letters written to Juliet (and lyrics written by all five participants) was perhaps a bridge too far for some of his fans. I absolutely loved this album from the first time I heard it and it is still one of my favorites in his catalog. In fact, I think this was one of the albums that helped me get over the whole “such and such an artist was better when they were still making songs that sounded like that one great album they made early in their career.” I’ve been much more open to artistic exploration ever since.
While I completely understand why they only chose to release one single from The Juliet Letters, there are several songs that would have made excellent choices – specifically “For Other Eyes,” “Who Do You Think You Are” (which was later performed by The Brodsky Quartet with Björk), “Romeo’s Seance,” “The First To Leave” and most particularly the lovely, sad and bitter “The Letter Home.” One of the interesting things about this album is that it’s been covered in it’s entirety by a pretty wide variety of musicians. My favorite is probably Katarzyna Groniec’s Polish language take, Listy Julii, which she re orchestrated for brass, winds, keyboards, drum and bass. You can also find a good dozen or so barely-viewed YouTube videos of various amateur versions of the songs. Indeed, at my school, our orchestra (much to my surprise and delight) covered “For Other Eyes” with our former principal on vocals. My point, I suppose, is that many of my fellow music nerds love this song cycle.
“Jacksons, Monk and Rowe” was composed by Brodsky Quartet first violinist Michael Thomas with lyrics by Thomas, cellist Jacqueline Thomas as well as Costello (using his birth name, Declan MacManus). As I mentioned, each song on The Juliet Letters takes the form of a letter. This one is a formal letter to the titular law firm accompanied by signed divorce papers. There’s more to the song than that – a yearning for a younger time, an intimation that those times were maybe not so great, and some lovely string work (as you’d expect). I realize that there are people who dislike Costello’s voice (I think it’s lovely) but I want to point out that – starting with this album through his work with Burt Bacharacha few years later, I think his voice became richer and more powerful (part of why he’s been in demand for TV and film songs in the last few decades). He sounds great on “Jacksons, Monk and Rowe.” I especially like how he sings the first few lines of the second verse – powerful, clear and evocative.
What I Love – That fantastic string flourish at the end.
35. High Fidelity
(Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
Second single from High Fidelity (1980), released as a single in 1980
Lyric I Especially Like:
There’s a new kind of dedication
Maybe you’ll find it down the tunnel
Maybe I got above my station
Maybe you’re only changing channels
Nick Hornby took the name of his novel High Fidelity from this song. It was later made into the movie High Fidelity, directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack. When that movie came out, my friends all said to me “Oh, Doyle, you have to go see this movie – the main character is just like you.” At the time, I was flattered and assumed it was because that character was a music nerd with a penchant for making lists, but years later (and upon reflection), I suspect this was a less-than-flattering comparison. Fidelity indeed.
“High Fidelity” started it’s like (in Costello’s words) as a song in the style of Station to Station era David Bowie (hear that here at around 39:14) before he reinvented it in the style of The Supremes for Get Happy!! In fact, the first line of the song is taken directly from “Some Things You Never Get Used To.” The lyrics of “High Fidelity” are about a man (who is “with someone else right now”) lamenting the fact that his lover is with another man but still (deludely) believing that they’re going to be together again. Costello points out (in the liner notes for Girls Girls Girls) that alcohol may be a factor in his reasoning. The Attractions are in great form here, particularly Steve Nieve who plays a fantastic high-stakes keyboard line.
What I Love – Nieve’s keyboard introduction is one of the most instantly recognizable moments on any Costello song.
34. You Shouldn’t Look At Me That Way
Promo single from the soundtrack to the film Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool (2017), released as a single in 2017
Lyric I Especially Like:
Time, among all of your enemies,
Makes disguises from drastic remedies
From the first brush with perfection
To avoiding your own reflection
I did not know there was a film called Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool, nor did I know that Costello had composed and recorded this lovely song for that film. I was pleased to discover that I owned an MP3 of the song because I downloaded the deluxe version of Look Now (it is an extra). Costello spoke rather extensively to IndieWire about the writing process for this song (and the men at Elvis Costello Song of the Week dissect it with love) so I’m just going to point you there instead of going into any detail. The Imposters and a large orchestra recorded this song with Costello, but it’s his vocal delivery that really stands out. This is the kind of song that you’d first hear while boarding an international flight and they’re showing adult contemporary music videos and letting the music play over the in-flight speaker system. You hear it, you don’t register it, they it dawns on you – “I think that is Elvis Costello.” You look up and sure enough, there he is in the video. “Does he have a new album out?” You try to find your glasses so you can read the title of the song but by the time you do, it’s moved on to some new Blues Traveler tune. You remember too late that you have an app that will help you identify songs as you’re listening to them. Some googling doesn’t really help and now you have to shut your phone off because the flight is departing. By the time you’re in the sky, you’ve forgotten about it. Fortunately for you, I remember and present it here for your listening pleasure.
What I Love – This is another great Costello vocal delivery – you can hear how fragile his character’s bravado is on the song and it’s lovely.
33. No Hiding Place
(Elvis Costello and The Imposters)
First single from Momofuku (2008), released as a single in 2008
Lyric I Especially Like:
You can say anything you want to
In your fetching cloak of anonymity
Are you feeling out of breath now?
In your desperate pursuit of infamy
It’s 2008 and Costello is calling out Internet trolls on “No Hiding Place.” Basically, the song is one big long “say it to my face, punk” and it’s really pretty glorious. The Imposters and Jenny Lewis’s band rock the house on this one – I particularly enjoy the “vocal supergroup” (see credits). The song – like all songs on Momofuku – is loose and it sounds like everyone involved is having a blast. Indeed, I can’t think of a single other album in Costello’s catalog where he just sounds like he’s just having a good time without thinking too hard. That the songs (particularly this song) are still great is a sign of his years of honing his craft as well as his innate artistic talent.
What I Love – I really love when Costello and the supergroup literally taunt the trolls with “na na na na na.”
32. Blue Chair
(Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
Third single from Blood and Chocolate (1986), released as a single in 1986
Lyric I Especially Like:
And still I want her right now
Not any minute, hour or day
And wherever she is tonight
I want her anyway
“Blue Chair” was the first song I heard from Blood and Chocolate. If I was going to bet on where I first heard it, I would say it was on local-to-Newtown, CT college radio station WXCI, but it is also possible that it received some airplay on our local rock station, I-95. I am relatively certain that this was the last time I first heard any song on this list on the radio unless I was the one who was playing it (I did first hear the McPartland/Costello Piano Jazz recording I discussed in the introduction on HPR). This isn’t so much a reflection of Costello’s changing musical fortunes – indeed, Spike would produce “Veronica” just a couple years later – as it was a reflection of my changing relationship to radio. When I was a younger person, I would stay up late listening to Dr. Demento or get up early and listen to American Top 40. When I got home from school, I’d often list to request hours on both of those stations I just mentioned. Sometimes, I’d call up and make up stupid stories when they asked general questions. I just wanted to be closer to radio – sometimes, I still do. Hence these lists of DJ like commentary on songs, I suppose.
Now, here is the ironic thing. The single version of “Blue Chair” is not the version I remember hearing on the radio. In fact, up until this very moment, I thought that version of the song was just a King of America outtake available on the Out of Our Idiot collection. So the song I’ve placed at 32 is an album track that got some airplay. The band on the single is (sort of) The Costello Show, featuring T-Bone Wolk, Mitchell Froom and Mickey Curry but they play it more like an outtake from Get Happy!! then one from King of America. The Attractions plus Nick Lowe play on the album version heard here and I just straight up prefer it. I’m not going to be changing the ranking nor switching the song just because I was dead wrong. For an alternate opinion, see the love showered on the single version over at Elvis Costello Song of the Week.
The lyrics seem to address a romantic rival – the man with whom the singer’s former lover is currently involved. He seems to have some hope that she might come back or – at the very least – dump his rival. The reality is (as you see in the lyrics that I quote) that he’s simply not over her at all. The metaphor of the “blue chair” (a chair one goes to be sad?) is a little obscure to me, but the rest of the song reads as a pretty direct “my heart has just been broken and I’m not over it” song. The Elvis Costello Song of the Week writers suggest it might be a dark internal monologue, and I can see how that is possible, but I lean towards the more straight forward reading.
What I Love – Steve Nieve’s keyboard line, especially the bells.
31. Suspect My Tears
(Elvis Costello and The Imposters)
Lyric video from Look Now (2018), video released in 2018
Lyric I Especially Like:
If you’re suspicious that I’m sly and vicious
Here’s your chance to decide
Two hypocrites collide
Imposters Bassist Davey Farragher is an expert vocalist – you’ve probably noticed his name pop up several times when I’ve written about backing vocals on different songs on this list. He is credited here (along with Costello) for the vocal arrangement, which is one of the most appealing elements of this song. While Burt Bacharach wasn’t involved in the creation of this song – he was involved in several of the tracks on Look Now – you can hear his influence both in the lyrics and especially in the orchestration. This is discussed at length in the final (!!!) entry over at Trunkworthy’s Elvis Costello Song of the Week. “Suspect my Tears” is what’s called a “trunk song,” to wit a song that Costello wrote years ago and only now decided to record. It really showcases how The Imposters have gelled as a band and is one of the triumphs of Look Now.
What I Love – That falsetto note near the end.
Coming Soon: These ten songs we just listened to are so good and the next ten are even better.
Elvis Costello Singles Ranked – 111-116 – 101-110 – 91-100 – 81-90 – 71-80 – 61-70 – 51-60 – 41-50 – 31-40 – 21-30 – 11-20 – 1-10