• Voto:
"La mia vocazione nella vita è di essere irritante! Non qualcosa di attivamente distruttivo, solo qualcosa che irrita, che disorienta".
"Le due cose che mi importano, le due sole motivazioni per me per scrivere tutte queste canzoni, sono vendetta e colpa. Sono le sole due emozioni che posso provare. L'amore? Non so proprio cosa sia, veramente non esiste nelle mie canzoni". 1977
"Quasi tutte le band punk non sapevano suonare a tempo. Era tutta una cacofonia che non voleva dire niente. Al contrario The Attractions sapevano andare a tempo e rendere la cosa musicale. In più eravamo veramente terribili con le persone... In effetti eravamo molto più cattivi che tutti quei gruppi. In effetti lo eravamo come tutti loro messi assieme". 1989
Ho preso queste citazioni di Elvis Costello dal libro di Tony Clayton-Len, "Elvis Costello, a biography", non mi risulta che sia stato tradotto in italiano. E le canzoni del giovane Mac Manus nei tardi anni '70 erano in effetti veramente acide, soda caustica corretta al vetriolo.
Probabilmente la canzone più famosa del disco rimane "Less than zero", ripresa da Ellis come titolo del suo libro. Canzone di gran lunga più memorabile del romanzo, di per se abbasatanza mediocre:
"Turn up the TV, no one listening will suspect
Even your mother won't detect it, so your father won't know
They think that I've got no respect but
Everything is less than zero
Hey, oo hey-ey
Hey, oo hey-ey
Oswald and his sister are doing it again
They've got the finest home movies that you have ever seen
They've got a thousand variations, every service with a smile
They're gonna take a little break and they'll be back after a while
Well, I hear that South America is coming into style
A pistol was still smoking, a man lay on the floor
Mr. Oswald said he had an understanding with the law
He said he heard about a couple living in the USA
He said they traded in their baby for a Chevrolet
Let's talk about the future, now we've put the past away"
Mi meraviglio ancora che quando se ne andò in tour America non l'abbiano linciato. Tra l'altro credo che scendendo dall'areo dichiaro che il suo intento era quello di traviare la gioventù americana! Un uomo così non si può nella mia modesta opinione che considerarlo un eroe.
Un altro grande pezzo rimane "Alison". La musica sembra quella di una romantica ballad, quasi melensa. Il testo è quanto più di più cinico si possa immaginare:
"Oh it's so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl. And with the way you look I understand that you are not impressed.La tipa che arriva e che pretende che il Mac Manus l'abbia messa incinta. Lui nega e vorrebbe spararle addosso. Il bello è che non si capisce come è andata in realtà.
But I heard you let that little friend of mine take off your party dress.
I'm not going to get too sentimental like those other sticky valentines, cause I don't know if you've been loving somebody. I only know it isn't mine.
Alison, I know this world is killing you. Oh, Alison, my aim is true."
Tra i dischi più cattivi e stronzi della storia del rock. Il bello è che se non si presta attenzione ai testi il tutto sembra mieloso! Viene da chiedersi se il mondo non sarebbe più buono se noi tutti fossimo più cattivi e meno ipocriti.
Dedicato a tutti coloro che fanno della crudeltà un'arte. Se odiate il buonismo e il politicamente corretto penso che lo amerete.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Welcome to the Working Week (01:23)
Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired
and you can have anyone that you have ever desired,
all you gotta tell me now is why, why, why, why.
Welcome to the workin' week.
Oh I know it don't thrill you, I hope it don't kill you.
Welcome to the workin' week.
You gotta do it till you're through it so you better get to it.
All of your family had to kill to survive,
and they're still waitin' for their big day to arrive.
But if they knew how I felt they'd bury me alive.
Welcome to the workin' week.
Oh I know it don't thrill you, I hope it don't kill you.
Welcome to the workin' week.
You gotta do it till you're through it so you better get to it.
I hear you sayin', "Hey, the city's alright,"
when you only read about it in books.
Spend all your money gettin' so convinced
that you never even bother to look.
Sometimes I wonder if we're livin' in the same land,
Why d'you wanna be my friend when I feel like a juggler
running out of hands?
Welcome to the workin' week, oh, welcome to the working week.
04 Blame It on Cain (02:53)
Once upon a time, I had a little money.
Government burglars took it long
before I could mail it to you.
Still, you are the only one.
Now I can't let it slip away.
So if the man with the ticker tape,
he tries to take it,
well this is what I'm gonna say.
Blame it on Cain.
Don't blame it on me.
Oh, oh, it's nobody's fault,
but we need somebody to burn.
Well if I was a saint with
a silver cup
and the money got low
we could always heat it up
or trade it in.
But then the radio TO heaven will be wired to your purse.
And then you can run down the wave band,
coast to coast, hand in hand.
Better or worse, curse for curse,
don't be dissatisfied.
So you're not satisfied.
chorus
I think I've lived a little too long
on the outskirts of town
I think I'm going insane
from talking to myself for so long.
Oh but I've never been accused.
But when they step up on your face,
They wear that good look grin.
I gotta break out one weekend
Try to do somebody in.
But every single time
I feel a little stronger,
they tell me it's a crime.
Well how much longer?
Blame it on Cain
Don't blame it on me
It might not be his fault
But it just might be his turn
05 Alison (03:26)
Oh, it's so funny to be seein' ya after so long girl
and with the way you look I understand that you are not impressed
But I heard you let that little friend of mine
take off your party dress
I'm not gonna get too sentimental
like those other sticker Valentines
'cause I don't know if you are lovin' somebody
I only know it isn't mine
Chorus
Alison,
I know this world is killin' you oh--
Alison,
my aim is true
Well I see you got a husband now
did you leave your pretty fingers flying in the wedding cake?
you used to hold him right in your hand
I bet it took all he could take
Sometimes I wish that I could stop you from talkin'
when I hear the silly things that you say
I think somebody better put out the big light
'cause I can't stand to see you this way
Chorus
06 Sneaky Feelings (02:10)
Now everybody's breakin' up somebody else's home,
before somebody else starts breaking up their own.
I get you in my dreams.
You should hear the things you say.
It's not that it's so much fun,
but it's safer that way.
Sneaky feeling, sneaky feelings,
you can't let those kind of feeling show.
I'd like to get right through the way I feel for you,
but I've still got a long way to go.
Why don't we call it a day, and we can both confess.
You can force me to use a little tenderness.
White lies, alibis, anything but say that it's true.
Now we could sit like lovers, staring in each other's eyes,
but the magic of the moment might become too much for you.
Sneaky feeling, sneaky feelings,
you can't let those kind of feeling show.
I'd like to get right through the way I feel for you,
But I've still got a long way to go.
Carico i commenti... con calma
