I’ve never been a huge Elvis Costello fan, but the other day I found a best of CD my wife has.
I was listening to Oliver’s Army?
What the hell do the lyrics mean? Who is (was) Oliver’s Army?
I don’t know who Oliver is but it sure is a great song innit.
“If you’re out of luck, you’re out of work, we can send you to Johannesburg…”
Haven’t heard the song…Cromwell, maybe?
that the song is about British occupations ("Have you got yourself an occupation?) around the world after WWII, and the working class boys (“from the Mersey and the Thames and the Tyne”) who were sent to enforce them, and it does seem to make the lyrics make more sense.
There are specific references to South Africa (the “one more widow” line, and the line that ruadh quotes about Johannesburg) though I don’t know what Britain’s relationship was with South Africa in the 50s.
“Oliver” is Winston Churchill, for his supposed resemblance to Oliver Hardy. (“It could be arranged with just a word in Mr. Churchill’s ear.”) The “Murder Mile” was a small war on Cyprus in the 50s. I think one of the precipitating events was the murder by revolutionaries of the wife of a British officer.
Given that it’s Elvis Costello (ne Declan MacManus), there may be a Cromwell/occupied Ireland reference lurking around in there as well. It was written in his cryptic period.
Catrandom
Sorry about the hiccupy message above (I had an attack of parentheses).
Catrandom, an editor who should know better.
Thanks for the insight. I now nave one less problem in my life.
[q]It was written in his cryptic period.[/q]
Aah. That small window of time from 1977-present.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big Elvis fan. I think 1977 was the best year of our era: Star Wars; Elvis Costello’s first album; and Elvis Presley died.
(C’mon, by then it was a mercy killing.)