# Your favorite Elvis Costello song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673 "2015-10-24T23:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/21 "2015-10-25T11:16:07Z")
If you had asked my _second_ favorite Elvis Costello song, _that_ would have been difficult to answer. There’s just so much awesomeness to choose from: “Veronica”, “Loveable”, “This Year’s Girl”, “Men Called Uncle”, “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea”, “God Give Me Strength”, “Beyond Belief”, “So Like Candy”, “Pony St.”, “Big Sister’s Clothes”, “I Want You”… But, my _number one_ favorite Elvis Costello song? Easy: “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes”. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/22 "2015-10-25T11:19:45Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > If you had asked my _second_ favorite Elvis Costello song, _that_ would have been difficult to answer. > There’s just so much awesomeness to choose from: “Veronica”, “Loveable”, “This Year’s Girl”, “Men Called Uncle”, “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea”, “God Give Me Strength”, “Beyond Belief”, “So Like Candy”, “Pony St.”, “Big Sister’s Clothes”, “I Want You”… > > But, my _number one_ favorite Elvis Costello song? Easy: “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes”. Will you read his book? He discusses _Angels_ as one of those rare songs that came to him fully formed. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/23 "2015-10-25T13:02:42Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Will you read his book? I’m interested and I’ve heard good things about it but, honestly, I’m not going to get around to it soon and, with books, if I don’t get around to it when my initial interest is at its peak then I usually don’t end up getting around to it at all. I was excited when Patti Smith’s _Just Kids_ was released but I didn’t read it right away. That’s almost six years ago now and I still haven’t read it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/24 "2015-10-25T13:09:38Z")
Allison ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/25 "2015-10-25T13:15:13Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > If I had to pick one it would be _The Long Honeymoon_. That’s an interesting choice. It’s my new earworm. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/26 "2015-10-25T13:34:56Z")
Just too many to list. Lately the jukebox in my head has been featuring Allison and High Fidelity, but next week could be any of a couple dozen others. I remember hearing his early stuff, back when it was new, on WNEW in NYC - which was the only local station with the nerve to play it - having no idea that those songs would become such classics. OK, enough chat. Off to search the web for an “Elvis Live” DVD. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/27 "2015-10-25T13:55:07Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > “Oliver’s Army.” that one’s a close second to “(What’s so Funny Bout…) Peace, Love…etc” ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/28 "2015-10-25T13:55:13Z")
Daft question. Can only be seen as a body of work stretching across decades and genres. Anything else under values the artist. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/29 "2015-10-25T14:08:25Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > that one’s a close second to “(What’s so Funny Bout…) Peace, Love…etc” He didn’t write that. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/30 "2015-10-25T14:24:14Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I couldn’t possibly name just one. > > 30 or 40, perhaps, but not just one. > mmm Right. I was just listening to “King of America”, and half the songs on that album could qualify in a given moment. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/31 "2015-10-25T14:29:18Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > He didn’t write that. No, but he did make it his own. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/32 "2015-10-25T14:55:23Z")
No he didn’t, that would be to undervalue the wonderful writer: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAqAmLSIGU8) ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/33 "2015-10-25T15:10:01Z")
No contest: “Riot Act.” One of the few songs that gives me chills nearly every time I hear it. Though my favorite to play on guitar is “New Amsterdam.” ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/34 "2015-10-25T15:17:24Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > No contest: “Riot Act.” One of the few songs that gives me chills nearly every time I hear it. > > Though my favorite to play on guitar is “New Amsterdam.” Man, do I love the rhyme scheme of that chorus: > [@Elvis Costello: New Amsterdam](#): > > Chorus: > G Bb C G > New Amsterdam, it’s become much too much > G Bb C G > Though I have the possession of everything she touches > G Bb C G > Till I step on the brake to get out of her clutches > G Bb C G > Can I speak double-dutch to a real double duchess The man is a master of songcraft. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/35 "2015-10-25T15:47:37Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Though my favorite to play on guitar is “New Amsterdam.” > [@WordMan](#): > > Man, do I love the rhyme scheme of that chorus: > > The man is a master of songcraft. It’s also a very nice waltz. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/36 "2015-10-25T15:55:03Z")
Tough choice. So many favorites. I regularly go back to listen to the bass line and jangly guitar refrain of [Lip Service.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7JsZlZ_1i4) ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/37 "2015-10-25T16:03:45Z")
“Every Day I Write the Book.” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/38 "2015-10-25T19:57:43Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Allison One"L". And the only reason I know is that i didn’t check first and ended up misspelling my eldest’s name with 2. Don’t think any lyric passes through my minds more often than “I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused.” Basically throw a dart at the first 2 albums, but Pump it Up, Radio, Radio, and Lipstick Vogue are right up there. Think I know what disc(s) to toss on while I do my housecleaning… ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/39 "2015-10-25T20:20:20Z")
When i was a very young kid I remember loving the song that his dad wrote and Elvis Costello performed on for R Whites Lemonade, _I’m a Secret Lemonade drinker_, which was still being played in cinemas. I have to say I like his earlier punk/new wave stuff the best, particularly _Oliver’s Army_. From a little later I also like _Shipbuilding_ (though he wrote the lyrics rather than the whole song and the original Robert Wyatt version is the definitive version). I’m fairly lukewarm on his later stuff as it doesn’t have the energy I liked from his earlier stuff. That said I heard _A Slow Drag with Jospehine_ from his latest album which I quite like as I like the understated production and arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/40 "2015-10-25T20:24:05Z")
I just love “The other side of summer”! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673.md?page=3)