Elvis Costello asks radio stations not to play Oliver's Army

[6Foot2]

Link: Elvis Costello asks radio stations not to play Oliver's Army - BBC News

 

Elvis Costello has revealed he will no longer perform his biggest hit, Oliver's Army, and has also asked radio stations to stop playing the song.

 

Written about the conflict in Northern Ireland, the lyrics use a racial slur to describe a British soldier: "Only takes one itchy trigger/ One more widow, one less white [n-word]".

 

"That's what my grandfather was called in the British army - it's historically a fact," he told The Telegraph, "but people hear that word... and accuse me of something that I didn't intend."

 

Released in 1979, Oliver's Army was played unedited on radio stations for decades - but as the word became increasingly taboo, many took the decision to bleep the lyrics.

 

On his last tour, Costello rewrote the song to address being "cut down by the censors", singling out the BBC, which attracted criticism for editing the song in 2013.

 

"They're making it worse by bleeping it, for sure," he told The Telegraph. "Because they're highlighting it then. Just don't play the record!"

 

Costello added that radio stations will "do him a favour" by not playing the track again.

 

"Because when I fall under a bus, they'll play She, Good Year for the Roses and Oliver's Army," he said.

 

"I'll die, and they will celebrate my death with two songs I didn't write. What does that tell you?"

 

Good Year For The Roses was written by Jerry Chesnut and performed by George Jones, while She was originally written and performed by Charles Aznavour.

 

Costello's 1999 cover of She is his biggest song on streaming services, with 80 million plays on Spotify alone. Radio stations looking for Costello originals to play in his obituary could choose the 1977 singles Alison and Watching The Detectives, which are his next most-popular tracks...

[LeMarchand]

"I'll die, and they will celebrate my death with two songs I didn't write. What does that tell you?"

 

He didn't write any good songs?

 

Not a huge fan of EC, but I admire his decision. Guess it's over to The Pogues now.

[Andrew_C]

I'd be grateful if they'd stop playing it too. Just because I don't like it. Or much of the other music of the era.

[LeMarchand]

I'd be grateful if they'd stop playing it too. Just because I don't like it. Or much of the other music of the era.

 

Hey! Ultravox released "Systems of Romance" in 78!

[Jawloms]

I would put money on "Oliver's Army" going up the charts this week. I'm not suggesting number 1 or anything silly, but a definite Streisand effect.

[LeMarchand]

OMG! Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds was 78 too. Plus...

 

[StevieM]

He didn't write any good songs?

 

He's a fantastic songwriter! I understand why many might find his voice rather grating, but his songsmithery is beyond question.

 

Ironically, as well as two songs that he did not write being amongst his most popular, he originally wrote another of his most popular songs for someone else to sing.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuPrrdRzlxc

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by StevieM
Clarification

[Davit2005]

I'd be grateful if they'd stop playing it too. Just because I don't like it. Or much of the other music of the era.

 

What? Lots of decent music in the late 1970's including 1978 . Also the decade I was born (ok maybe no comment on that one )

[LeMarchand]

Guess what, folks?

 

Mr Costello released a new album on the 14th. Well played, Elvis. Well played.

[Norphy]

He was on Graham Norton's show on Friday, performing. God, he was awful.

[Andrew_C]

God, he was awful.

No change there then...