# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Buford\_was\_no\_angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Buford\_was\_no\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buford_was_no_angel)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/61 "2015-10-27T16:32:44Z")
“Goon Squad” with “Green Shirt” a close second. ---
**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 27, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/62 "2015-10-27T16:54:49Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I’ll be diplomatic and choose _(What’s So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding_ as my favorite Elvis Costello _cover_ song, and _Radio, Radio_ as the favorite original. As **bienville** suggested, as a Costello fan I’m quite familiar with Nick Lowe’s work and love him as a songwriter, but the Brinsley Schwarz version doesn’t come close to Elvis’ turbocharged recording. Same with _Radio, Radio_, so much energy, and I especially like the way he really did bite the hand that fed him when he unexpectedly performed the song unannounced on SNL, which was very bold. My apologies for starting the kerfuffle on _Peace, Love and Understanding_. I’m still hoping for a little discussion on **Up the Junction’s** user name. I even Wiki’d it to be fully prepared… ---
**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 27, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/63 "2015-10-27T17:14:39Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > My apologies for starting the kerfuffle on _Peace, Love and Understanding_. > > I’m still hoping for a little discussion on **Up the Junction’s** user name. I even Wiki’d it to be fully prepared… Sorrry! I live near the junction in the Tilbrook and Difford song. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/64 "2015-10-27T17:24:54Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Sorrry! I live near the junction in the Tilbrook and Difford song. That song by Squeeze/Difford & Tilbrook, Up the Junction, breaks my heart every time. Back to Elvis, I think we can all play nice. A song covered or a song written and performed - I will take either from Mr. McManus. Obvious sidenote - I comment on EC’s new memoir out in this thread: [Elvis Costello memoir out - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=771491) ---
**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 27, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/65 "2015-10-27T17:25:02Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Sorrry! I live near the junction in the Tilbrook and Difford song. I really like the Squeeze cover of that song. ---
**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 27, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/66 "2015-10-27T17:34:40Z")
There’s stretching a point and then … snap. **WordMan** - yep, proper old skool storytelling! ---
**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 27, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/67 "2015-10-27T22:06:12Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Sorrry! I live near the junction in the Tilbrook and Difford song. No you don’t !!! You are a big fan of the 1963 collection of short stories by Nell Dunn .😛 ---
**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 27, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/68 "2015-10-27T22:32:46Z")
No, but obv. one of either Glen Tilbrook or Chris Difford were. Well, they probably saw the tv version. It is my manor though, it’s changed a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/69 "2015-10-27T22:50:49Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I really like the Squeeze cover of that song. Bah. Squeeze were a bunch of [latecomers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hedvvXl1q3k). ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/70 "2015-10-28T12:23:54Z")
Had to laugh. Yesterday evening I was jamming with a guy who plays banjo/mando (I play upright bass), and he pulled out a sheet of chord changes for an “Elvis Costello” song he wanted to try! 😃 When I asked, “Didn’t Nick Lowe write that,” he responded that he thought they co-wrote it. I kept my mouth shut and started thumping! 🆒 I’m sure our bluegrass turn on the tune will make everyone forget all previous versions… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/71 "2015-10-28T13:18:38Z")
A couple more I don’t think have been mentioned … Brilliant Mistake: “She said that she was working for the ABC news It was as much of the alphabet that she new how to use.” I love the alternating lines and drum fills in the choruses. The other I really dig is Tokyo Storm Warning. ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/72 "2015-10-28T13:26:27Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Allison This ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/73 "2015-10-29T14:04:08Z")
Favorite EC wrote: Accidents Will Happen Favorite cover: What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding Interestingly they’re both on the Armed Forces album. ---
**Author:** ![mph99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4da419/32.png) [@mph99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mph99)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/74 "2015-10-29T15:52:47Z")
I’d love to go with something obscure, but “Allison” is just perfection. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/75 "2015-10-29T16:48:28Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Favorite EC wrote: Accidents Will Happen > Favorite cover: What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding > > Interestingly they’re both on the Armed Forces album. Interesting being a relative term ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/76 "2015-10-29T17:17:18Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Interesting being a relative term Dude, is that a shot? Why? ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673/77 "2015-10-30T14:01:43Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Interesting being a relative term Interesting to me because Armed Forces is not my favorite EC album. I feel This Year’s Model is more even. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-elvis-costello-song/735673.md?page=3)