This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's face
In her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice
Coming down on that child's lips
Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the Lord my soul to save
Yes I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live
Long enough to savor
That's when they finally put you in the ground
I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down
When England was the whore of the world
Margaret was her madam
And the future looked as bright and as clear
As the black tarmacadam
Well I hope that she sleeps well at night,
Isn't haunted by every tiny detail
When she held that lovely face in her hands
All she thought of was betrayal
And now the cynical ones
Say that it all ends the same in the long run
Try telling that to the desperate father
Who just squeezed the life from his only son
And how it's only voices in your head
And dreams you've never dreamt
Try telling him the subtle difference
Between justice and contempt
Try telling me she isn't angry
With this pitiful discontent
When they flaunt it in your face
As you line up for punishment
And then expect you to say thank you
Straighten up, look proud and pleased
Because you've only got the symptoms,
You haven't got the whole disease
Just like a schoolboy,
Whose head's like a tin-can
Filled up with dreams then poured down the drain
Try telling that to the boys on both sides,
Being blown to bits or beaten and maimed
Who takes all the glory and none of the shame
Well I hope you live long now,
I pray the Lord your soul to keep
I think I'll be going before
We fold our arms and start to weep
I never thought for a moment
That human life could be so cheap
But when they finally put you in the ground
They'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's face
In her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice
Coming down on that child's lips
Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the Lord my soul to save
Yes I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live
Long enough to savor
That's when they finally put you in the ground
I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down
When England was the whore of the world
Margaret was her madam
And the future looked as bright and as clear
As the black tarmacadam
Well I hope that she sleeps well at night,
Isn't haunted by every tiny detail
When she held that lovely face in her hands
All she thought of was betrayal
And now the cynical ones
Say that it all ends the same in the long run
Try telling that to the desperate father
Who just squeezed the life from his only son
And how it's only voices in your head
And dreams you've never dreamt
Try telling him the subtle difference
Between justice and contempt
Try telling me she isn't angry
With this pitiful discontent
When they flaunt it in your face
As you line up for punishment
And then expect you to say thank you
Straighten up, look proud and pleased
Because you've only got the symptoms,
You haven't got the whole disease
Just like a schoolboy,
Whose head's like a tin-can
Filled up with dreams then poured down the drain
Try telling that to the boys on both sides,
Being blown to bits or beaten and maimed
Who takes all the glory and none of the shame
Well I hope you live long now,
I pray the Lord your soul to keep
I think I'll be going before
We fold our arms and start to weep
I never thought for a moment
That human life could be so cheap
But when they finally put you in the ground
They'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down
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I think the meaning is pretty clear. This person got really burned in a previous relationship, and because of this is unable to love and show care in his present one, even though he so badly wants to. It's lovely song, and very sad. You can really feel how defeated and frustrated he is with himself.
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Corey Hart
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In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
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Mel And Kim
Mel And Kim
Just listening for the 784,654th time....and it's just perfect in every way. Just incredible. The only reason it was remade was to scoop up a boatload of money from a more modern and accepting audience. But it is a completely different song than the other one that sounds slapped together in a few takes without a thought for the meaning.
This song captivates me still, after 50+ years. Takes me to the deep South and the poverty of some who lived thru truly hard times. And the powerful spirit of a poor young girl being abandoned to her future with only a red dress and her wits to keep her alive.
She not only stayed alive, she turned her hard beginnings around, became self sufficient, successful and someone with respect for herself. She didn't let the naysayers and judgers stop her. She's the one sitting in the drivers seat at the end.
So, not a song about a poor girl, but a song of hope and how you can rise up no matter how far down you started.
There is a huge difference between a singer who simply belts out a song that is on a page in front of them, and someone who can convey an entire experience with their voice. Telling not just a story with words, but taking you inside it and making you feel like you are there, with their interpretation.
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
I believe this is another amazingly on point and nuanced commentary on the insanity that follows emotionally abusive relationships. The abuser has no anxieties, no emotional pain, or salience/memory for that matter, so the survivor appears to be the crazy one, obsessed with the abuse and that buzzword that seems to ignite arguments about diagnosing people without a degree, etc. funny how you say the words domestic violence, abuse, abuse survivor and boom the subject changes. Anyways, I especially relate to her midnights becoming afternoons, complex PTSD often leads to this phenomenon, whether due to purposeful sleep deprivation by the abuser, or just hyper vigilance associated with the PTSD, along with the fear of facing people, especially your loved ones, who
Never actually understand, even if they try, because all they see is you, on fire, screaming about the arsonist that no one ever sees, and who has been spreading lies about your alleged mental instability, deceptive personality, etc. the whole time. While the last thing survivors need is more blame, our society supports a narrative that blames the objectively innocent party because the blatantly guilty party has spent their entire lives fabricating a persona and we’re just being human, and human psychology is quite counterintuitive especially in the context of trauma. Look at Amber Heard. Vilified and not believed, regardless of what any abuse survivor could recognize as a fellow survivor instantly. But Johnny depp is a malignant narcissist, a man, and wealthy as all get out. It’s sick.
"Tramp The Dirt Down" is not a rational protest song, nor is it a well thought-out political manifesto. Its message is simple and direct-- the Margaret Thatcher is evil, and Elvis would take pleasure in her ultimate demise. It was as bitter and savage as anything Costello had ever written, because Costello took the unusual step of actually naming names. When Costello released his anti-Tory diatribe "Pills And Soap" in 1983, he told a concerned BBC censor that the song was about cruelty to animals. There could be no clever parsing of words with this song, which included the memorable line, "When England was the whore of the world, Margaret was her Madam." - Astheygo.com
Clearly a cathardic lambasting of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her policies. Costello has long been a vocal critic of hers and once even remarked that "She doesn't have a soul. She will burn in hell." Powerful.
Not having a soul would seem to be inconsistent with burning in hell, but I guess that's poetic license.
I never had an opinion on the lyrics until my 4th listening or so, as I am with most songs. It's an evocative tune by the melody and structure, it's Elvis's opinion. I happen to think Ms. Thatcher was good for Britain, however. Far be it from musicians to understand nuts and bolts politics when they deal mostly with feelings.
I think that "black tarmacadam" should actually be "black tar macadam".<br /> <br /> "Macadam" is a type of road construction/pavement, invented by a man with the last name Macadam.<br /> <br /> "Tar Macadam" is a tar-based Macadam, used on roads where high-speed travel would erode regular Macadam, and is where we get the word "Tarmac". (the pavement on most airport runways).<br /> <br /> "Macadam" became a sort of generic word for road pavement in the UK, so Elvis Costello is using "black tar Macadam" here to simply mean something very dark, not "clear and bright" in the least.
@Lesthanzero Damn, I won’t expect a reply since your comment is 11 y/o, but I’d like to ask exactly what YOU understand about “nuts and boots politics” that Elvis does NOT?!?<br /> <br />
This is definitely one of my favorites on Spike - in my opinion it blows "Veronica" out of the water. I understand why it wasn't released as a single though...
Lyrically, I'm impressed with Elvis' use of unexpected rhymes like "imagine/compassion" and "detail/betrayal". But I'm most impressed by the ironic twist that provides a little of his signature dark humor at the end of the song - after lambasting Margaret Thatcher for her lack of regard for human life and then laughing at her death, he remarks "I never thought for a moment that human life could be so cheap!"
Its like he's reminding her that her life is just as cheap as anyone's who was sent to war for her policies.
Now, as an American, I have a few questions for the Brits out there (or anyone else who might know):
1) Was there actually such a picture published of Margaret Thatcher kissing a grimacing child? 2) Was this song not considered libel because he only says "Margaret" and never reveals her last name, despite the heavy insinuations? 3) What is the "The black tarmacadam"? 4) Does "this pitiful discontent" refer to this song? Or something broader?
In today's context I can't get Sarah Palin (and her "special needs" baby) out of my mind when I listen to this song.
jsaul -<br /> <br /> 1) Was there actually such a picture published of Margaret Thatcher kissing a grimacing child?<br /> 2) Was this song not considered libel because he only says "Margaret" and never reveals her last name, despite the heavy insinuations?<br /> 3) What is the "The black tarmacadam"?<br /> 4) Does "this pitiful discontent" refer to this song? Or something broader?<br /> <br /> <br />
Sarah Palin? The woman chose to bring a retarted child into this world AND work from home so she could be with her child. God bless her for her decisions to put life and family FIRST. One can support war and not be anti-life. I have a Jewish aunt and uncle in their late 70's because a war was fought in Europe. Your simplistic view and condemnation of people whose politics you don't support is rather prejudiced.
The black tarmacadam is probably a reference to the plight of the characters in 'The Boys From the Blackstuff' a short series of plays aired in 1982 when Thatcher was at her zenith. Each play focussed on member of a group of redundant road tarmac layers. It has been described by The British Film Institute as TV's most complete dramatic response to the Thatcher era and as a lament to the end of a male, working class British culture.
@jsaul you don’t like Veronica? It’s a pretty good song, one of Elvis’ better singles, and was co-written with Paul McCartney, not unlike slice-of-life Beatles’ tunes like She’s Leaving Home or Eleanor Rigby.
Regarding the lyric "She spills with compassion": in the Middle Ages spill referred to much more devastating things than it does today. Spillan, the Old English ancestor of Modern English spill, meant such things as "to destroy, mutilate, kill." I think perhaps Elvis Costello was (consciously or subconsciously) tuning in to that older meaning when he wrote this line.
mmm, I think you may be over-analysing this. Thatcher was reknowned for her furrowed eyebrows and tilted head as she leaned forward in a low whisper to say something 'compassionate' from the 'heart' (although there's no evidence that she possessed one, there is plenty of evidence to suggest she may have been possessed). She was truly a wolf in sheeps clothing
loegend to me this sounds crap when he plays it (not quite my cup o tea) but uber respect fer im avin the guts to say that in all of his live shows to the miners! and i totaly agree!