The 1991 Elvis Costello verse that mocked Roger Waters, John Lennon, and David Bowie in three lines
“I wish you luck with a capital ‘F’.” – Elvis Costello
Why do we create? That’s always going to be a topic for contention, isn’t it? Nick Cave recently wrote, “We are duty-bound to do our job, like everyone else, because the space we occupy depends upon our participation and breaks down if we don’t.”
In other words, creatives create because they fundamentally have to; the world relies on the voice of the artist and without it, its beauty will crumble. Alternatively, Elvis Costello offers a different explanation: sometimes you create to call out artists you’re not keen on. Both are worthy pursuits.
In 1991, Elvis Costello released the track ‘The Other Side of Summer’, a generally well-received song that climbed the charts internationally. There are several positive things to say about the material, and all will have likely contributed to its success. However, the opening lines of the third verse undoubtedly helped. In it, Elvis Costello has an apparent dig at John Lennon, Roger Waters and David Bowie, all within the space of three lines.
It’s punchy, has the wry wink of comedy, and captures the pithy spirit of punk from whence Costello arose. He sings: “Was it a millionaire who said ‘Imagine no possessions?’ / A poor little schoolboy who said ‘We don’t need no lessons?’ / The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop / The pop princess is downtown shooting up…”
Costello directly references John Lennon and his song ‘Imagine’ in the first line, as he calls out the absurdity of someone like a bombastic former Beatle, who had more money than most of us could ever dream of, telling the listener not to be attached to their possessions. The same goes for Roger Waters, as Costello points out the hypocrisy of someone with an education telling others that it isn’t necessary in the track ‘Another Brick In The Wall’. (Although that does rather miss the actual point of that Pink Floyd classic).
The reference to David Bowie is a bit more hidden, but the line, “The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop”, could be a connection to how Bowie was portrayed as a rebel (and a dog on his album Diamond Dogs) but didn’t necessarily have the look of one. It could also reference the glamorous shape rock music was taking in general. Does a stance require a haircut?
Costello didn’t speak too much about the meaning behind the lyrics, most likely because the meaning speaks for itself. It seems self-evidently to be a takedown of duplicity. However, he was once asked about the line that pertained to Lennon, and in response, he said, “’The Other Side of Summer’ is not a slap at John Lennon.”
Further clarifying, he continued, “John Lennon wrote some wonderful songs, but ‘Imagine’, which has been so sanctified, was one of his worst. He didn’t think it all the way through.” That’s a similar viewpoint expressed by the likes of Paul Simon, too.
Costello, on the other hand, uses his own track to draw attention to what he thought was hypocritical songwriting. He was a lover of the art of the song, so it is hardly a surprise that he voiced his opinion on those with whom he disagreed using music.
The ‘diss-track’ is now a verified art form, but it’s rare for someone to do it in the form of a Beach Boys pastiche as Costello did. Cynicism rarely gets more happy-clappy than this cutting classic from sunny, old ‘91. It’s good form from the bespectacled fellow who once also sang, “But it’s easier to say ‘I love you’, than ‘Yours, sincerely’ I suppose.”
