Brilliant Mistake

Wanna know what's really brilliant? "I wish that I could push a button, and talk in the past and not the present teanse, and watch this hurtin' feeling disappear, like it was common sense" ... I've felt that so many times, and he puts it rather poetically. Awesome

Sounds like it's partly autobiographical; some of it could be a reflection on the Bonnie Bramlett incident of 1979, which damaged Costello's career and reputation in the U.S.

I may be wrong, but isn't it "the words of love in whispers and the acts of love in screams"?

Seems to me that it refers to the Bonnie Bramlett incident:

"A trick they do with mirrors and with chemicals" seems to refer to the alcohol (chemicals) and the mirror that the press holds up to celebrities when they make a "brilliant" mistake. The "brilliant mistake" being, of course, his attempt to stifle conversation by being (as he put it) as offensive as possible - brilliant in the (drunk) moment, but a mistake in (sober) hindsight.

But the song is great because it can be interpreted as any "brilliant mistake", and we've all made them.

[Edit: Got the name wrong]

This song is possibly my favorite song. The lyrics are superb and his voice along with the music is just amazing.

"A trick they do with mirrors and with chemicals" -- a trick with mirrors refers to old-fashioned magic acts performed on stage (such as in Vaudeville) where mirrors were often the basis of the illusion. Chemicals refers to technology (If this song were more recent, I'd say it refers to pharmaceuticals specifically, but I am not sure how commonplace anti-depressants, etc. were when the song was written.) So, the two things that America excels at, entertainment and technology prevent us from noticing the boulevard of broken dreams.

"The words of love in whispers, And the acts of love in screams" - In popular culture and many individual lives, sex is given far more attention and emphasis than feelings or romance. This line reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel's lyric And whisper'd in the sounds of silence."

"Where they pour Coca Cola just like vintage wine" - popular culture is treated like fine art and consumer products have the greatest cultural significance.

It's obviously about both Donald Trump and the female is his spokesperson Kellyanne Conway.

Elvis Costello predicted the future!

I know this is ridiculous, but I feel compelled to say it anyway:

In 2000, George Bush seemed like a fine idea to almost half of the American public. He was installed. He thought he was the King of America. But now, years later, we're on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and we all (well, most of us now) recognize him as a Brilliant Mistake.