What I like about this song is the denseness of the double meanings that Costello packs into the lyrics.
"This is my conviction, that I'm an innocent man" - it's what he believes, but he juxtaposes "conviction" with "innocent" so you might think he's been convicted of some felony.
"I struck lucky with motel matches" - to strike lucky, Lucky Strike cigarettes, you strike a match, motel matches like those little cardboard books of matches that such places (used to?) give away, .. it just goes on and on.
"Falling for you…" "Falling out…"
Top stuff. Sheer poetry from Elvis Costello. I wish he still did stuff this good.
Thanks for the "who shot Sam" meaning; I thought that he was hearing a TV down the hall playing some typical movie that might be available through HBO at the motel...dude: I woke with a siren in an emergence; is a double meaning between the beautiful "siren" of a girl; and the fact that she is in some trouble and the cops are outside with their cartop lights flashing red and blue; AND she is to be taken away and the motel light will change from red NO VACANCY to blue VACANCY after she is gone "Though your mind is...
Thanks for the "who shot Sam" meaning; I thought that he was hearing a TV down the hall playing some typical movie that might be available through HBO at the motel...dude: I woke with a siren in an emergence; is a double meaning between the beautiful "siren" of a girl; and the fact that she is in some trouble and the cops are outside with their cartop lights flashing red and blue; AND she is to be taken away and the motel light will change from red NO VACANCY to blue VACANCY after she is gone "Though your mind is full of love there is a vacancy" But I know what I'll do when the light outside changes from red to blue; the cops are outside and he is going to turn her in; "This is my conviction" officers "I am an innocent man" Even the words "You say I'm unkind" have to do with matches (two of a kind) and their is traditionally a jar full of free matches on the motel front desk, and when they fall out of a pocketbook they give away the fact that she has been in a motel; just like the matches are given away there...it goes on and on...Elvis is my fav
What I like about this song is the denseness of the double meanings that Costello packs into the lyrics.
"This is my conviction, that I'm an innocent man" - it's what he believes, but he juxtaposes "conviction" with "innocent" so you might think he's been convicted of some felony.
"I struck lucky with motel matches" - to strike lucky, Lucky Strike cigarettes, you strike a match, motel matches like those little cardboard books of matches that such places (used to?) give away, .. it just goes on and on.
"Falling for you…" "Falling out…"
Top stuff. Sheer poetry from Elvis Costello. I wish he still did stuff this good.
Thanks for the "who shot Sam" meaning; I thought that he was hearing a TV down the hall playing some typical movie that might be available through HBO at the motel...dude: I woke with a siren in an emergence; is a double meaning between the beautiful "siren" of a girl; and the fact that she is in some trouble and the cops are outside with their cartop lights flashing red and blue; AND she is to be taken away and the motel light will change from red NO VACANCY to blue VACANCY after she is gone "Though your mind is...
Thanks for the "who shot Sam" meaning; I thought that he was hearing a TV down the hall playing some typical movie that might be available through HBO at the motel...dude: I woke with a siren in an emergence; is a double meaning between the beautiful "siren" of a girl; and the fact that she is in some trouble and the cops are outside with their cartop lights flashing red and blue; AND she is to be taken away and the motel light will change from red NO VACANCY to blue VACANCY after she is gone "Though your mind is full of love there is a vacancy" But I know what I'll do when the light outside changes from red to blue; the cops are outside and he is going to turn her in; "This is my conviction" officers "I am an innocent man" Even the words "You say I'm unkind" have to do with matches (two of a kind) and their is traditionally a jar full of free matches on the motel front desk, and when they fall out of a pocketbook they give away the fact that she has been in a motel; just like the matches are given away there...it goes on and on...Elvis is my fav
@scottme I love the lyrics of this one. And like you said, stellar wordplay and imagery. "Get Happy!" is one of my all time favorites, pure genius
@scottme I love the lyrics of this one. And like you said, stellar wordplay and imagery. "Get Happy!" is one of my all time favorites, pure genius