I'll Wear It Proudly

[when i was cruel]

Another one of these, I am always curious to see what other Elvis fans think about his songs, and seeing as how not to many 16 year olds are insightful enough to see his genius I get to ask the professionals. So not until a week ago at 2 in the morning, with a biting heartache did I realized how truly beautiful this song is, the arrangement on both Demo and Record are amazing and it's just universal and exquisite. So how do you feel ? Love it ? Hate it ? Any stories about it ?

[bronxapostle]

YOU are genius enough to know a GREAT song when you hear it. not certain (as i dislike them!) but i think Radiohead even did a cover of this recently. a great song from a TRULY EXQUISITE record. one of the MANY highlights of the CONFEDERATES shows ten years before you were born sweet 16. GET A BOOTLEG!

[Neil.]

Is this Elvis's first openly positive love song?

Though that said, the imagery is far from conventional - "Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down - and nail my feet up where my head should be". It's like an upside-down crucifixion! The thing about lovebites (vampire kiss), arms and legs wrapped round your memory, lots of suggestions of sexual abandon - it's an incredibly personal, naked song.

Again, it could be a classic love song, but Elvis's challenging lyrics have probably made a few artists shy away from this one
(apart from the Thom Yorke live version from years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT0jm_thIxM )

[verbal gymnastics]

If they had a king of fools then I could wear that crown - what a great line!

This and Jack of All Parades stand side by side and are my two favourite songs on what is one of my favourite albums.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Lovely to read that it's having a strong impact on you. One of my absolute favourites from a magnificent record. Classic tune, beautifully played and arranged, spare yet complete. And a lovely lyric. Yes, probably his first open and naked love song of any sort. In a way it is an early version of the world of North, lyrically at least (and I can't recall right now whether a lyric on North talks about being pinned to the ceiling, or whether this was a spoken description of what happens when you fall heavily in love when he was touring it, but either way I associate the two). If the hat fits... and this hat fits perfectly.

Like that Radiohead cover.

I confess I don't really get the last verse:

Were your arms and legs wrapped round more than my memory tonight
When the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright
But in shameless moments you made more of me than just a mess
And a handful of eagerness says "What do you suggest?"

Odd shift to past tense, as if the rest of the song refers to a time now finished. And the last line confuses me. It's one of those songs you've played so many times that you live with and love the words without fully getting them. Anyone got a clearer sense of them and how they relate to the rest?

[Neil.]

I reckon the lines just suggest, a kind of sexual abandon and willingness to do anything - the only line I don't get is "when the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright", which adds a sinister twist which seems at odds with the joy of the rest of the song. It's probably a private image Elvis'll never explain!

[History History]

I reckon the lines just suggest, a kind of sexual abandon and willingness to do anything - the only line I don't get is "when the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright", which adds a sinister twist which seems at odds with the joy of the rest of the song. It's probably a private image Elvis'll never explain!

I think the line suggests a passionate sexual climax.

[Otis Westinghouse]

I've always thought the 'more than just my memory' was an indictment of an expected or imagined betrayal, seemingly casting the rest of the song back in time to a happier state of mind, almost as if Dec can't help but spoil his own love song, but this really doesn't work in terms of the song's title and overall sentiment. the bell and the blue air add to that sense of betrayal, fear of being caught, maybe. Like I say, I don't really get it, but I love the sound of it.

I meant to say before that I always took the cover image to be an ironic reference to being King of America, that much seems clear, but a more literal reference to being the King of Fools and his crown. Do y'all make the same links.

Finally, as well as loving the whole spare arrangement of it, great vocal and lovely playing, e.g. Mithcell Froom, I really love the drumming. If you want evidence of Jim Keltner's class as a drum and why less is so often more, here you go. It's recorded big so that brushes have a huge impact, and every bass drum beat has depth and every hi-hit touch is stark and clear. And I have always loved the way it slowly fades out.

Sleep of the Just will always remain my true standout from this wonderful record, but I'll Wear It Proudly is a close second, or maybe equal second with Brilliant Mistake.

[Neil.]

Wow, so right, Otis. Sleep Of The Just is amazing - Brilliant Mistake, too.

This thread reminds me of what a departure this album was from the previous two overproduced, glossy albums - there's a sense of relief straightaway - the pace is slower, the sound is more organic. It's like a sigh of relief - "I'm allowed to be me". The fact that Brilliant Mistake is the opening number surely says a lot: the whole "Elvis Costello" persona seemed an exhausting disguise for years, and now it was time to throw it off.

He's since returned to it, and learned to love it, but at this point, he needed to shed it completely.

Hang on - what'm I saying? Blood and Chocolate (anger, sexual jealousy, guilt, betrayal) came out the same year. Maybe it was a deal he struck with Columbia - give me the money to do a non-Elvisy, open-sounding, acousticy album with American musicians in the US, and I'll deliver you a top-drawer Attractionsy, swirling, angry, scary record just like (but building on) the old days.

Both albums are amazing - what a year 1986 was!

[FAVEHOUR]

Finally, as well as loving the whole spare arrangement of it, great vocal and lovely playing, e.g. Mithcell Froom, I really love the drumming. If you want evidence of Jim Keltner's class as a drum and why less is so often more, here you go. It's recorded big so that brushes have a huge impact, and every bass drum beat has depth and every hi-hit touch is stark and clear. And I have always loved the way it slowly fades out.

The thing that always strikes me is the way that fadeout is just like "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House....which came first?

[Jack of All Parades]

I've always thought the 'more than just my memory' was an indictment of an expected or imagined betrayal, seemingly casting the rest of the song back in time to a happier state of mind, almost as if Dec can't help but spoil his own love song, but this really doesn't work in terms of the song's title and overall sentiment. the bell and the blue air add to that sense of betrayal, fear of being caught, maybe. Like I say, I don't really get it, but I love the sound of it.

I meant to say before that I always took the cover image to be an ironic reference to being King of America, that much seems clear, but a more literal reference to being the King of Fools and his crown. Do y'all make the same links.

Finally, as well as loving the whole spare arrangement of it, great vocal and lovely playing, e.g. Mithcell Froom, I really love the drumming. If you want evidence of Jim Keltner's class as a drum and why less is so often more, here you go. It's recorded big so that brushes have a huge impact, and every bass drum beat has depth and every hi-hit touch is stark and clear. And I have always loved the way it slowly fades out.

Sleep of the Just will always remain my true standout from this wonderful record, but I'll Wear It Proudly is a close second, or maybe equal second with Brilliant Mistake.

Securely a favorite for me as attested to previously:

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3 ... f=2&t=9009

I enjoy your opening up the drumming aspects of the record for me.

[And No Coffee Table]

The thing that always strikes me is the way that fadeout is just like "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House....which came first?

"I'll Wear It Proudly" was first. Elvis actually mentions the similarity in the Ryko/Rhino King of America liner notes: "...the fade of “I’ll Wear It Proudly”, where Mitchell plays the organ melody that I had sung to him. He would make good use of it, turning a variation of that theme into a hook on his production of the big Crowded House hit, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”."

[docinwestchester]

The thing that always strikes me is the way that fadeout is just like "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House....which came first?

"I'll Wear It Proudly" was first. Elvis actually mentions the similarity in the Ryko/Rhino King of America liner notes: "...the fade of “I’ll Wear It Proudly”, where Mitchell plays the organ melody that I had sung to him. He would make good use of it, turning a variation of that theme into a hook on his production of the big Crowded House hit, “Don’t Dream It’s Over”."

Wow that's interesting. Forgot about how much info is packed into these liner notes:

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... Of_America

[pophead2k]

I've always thought the 'more than just my memory' was an indictment of an expected or imagined betrayal, seemingly casting the rest of the song back in time to a happier state of mind, almost as if Dec can't help but spoil his own love song, but this really doesn't work in terms of the song's title and overall sentiment. the bell and the blue air add to that sense of betrayal, fear of being caught, maybe. Like I say, I don't really get it, but I love the sound of it.

I always read the 'more than just my memory' as the narrator indicating that she was actually, physically with him now, whereas perhaps in the past they had been separated by distance. In other words, he was used to having to rely on times they had been together in the past, but now they are actually together.