My fascination and obsession with Elvis Costello began years ago when as a preteen I schlepped around pretending to be 20. I stumbled on to (literally) This Years Model at a friends apartment. One horrible morning I awoke to this ugly brown album jacket and a Hasselblad camera. I was a huge photography junky then, so that caught my eye but behind that camera was a 4 eyed freak with beautiful hands.
I think it was 1979 around there anyway cuz I remember my coat, I was sleeping in it.
So anyway after the “who the hell is this?” questions I popped the incredibly scratched vinyl on the turntable and cuz I was such a hardcore bad ass punk rock girl literally dropped the needle and it landed on….”Lipstick Vogue”.
And from that moment on, Elvis Costello became the man that every boy had to live up to. The nasal but throaty (that makes no fucking sense and I don’t care cuz I know what I mean) vibration coming from this man was primal and hypnotic. From that point on I had to see him, I had to wear him I had to know everything about him but most of all I had to listen to him. To me he epitomized everything I loved. He was awkward and funny. He had and has the sexiest gap between his teeth ARGH… and the way he did that knee in stance was just more endearing than anything.
In a time when spandex and mullets or Members Only jackets and comb backs ruled boys town, here was a guy that was the exact opposite of all of it. He was mine. And despite whatever that Dianna chick thinks he still is.
Musically, he fell in and out of favor with me always there but not always on top. I loved all of This Years Model, backed up to My Aim is True and died a little. I didn’t think that he could be better than Model but Aim was. ” Welcome to the Working Week”. wow.. k… I was years away from even having a job but who the hell cared and of course “Red Shoes” which caused me to wear them and wear red Doc Martens and to this very day I will always have 1 pair of really expensive, really high heeled red shoes..its me and Elvis’s secret nod. Even in the most serious of situations they’re my psychic connection to him. I’m a freak so what.
Armed Forces gave me some more quotes to use daily including “you tease you flirt…” words escape me here. Seriously I shouldn’t even be writing this as my thoughts make no sense and to justify or explain them does nothing at all but take up your time and bandwidth.
The first time I saw Mr Costello was at the University of Bridgeport in 1981 or 82 I think. I know that I stole the money for the ticket from my mothers purse. I know I took a Greyhound bus alone to get there. I know I met my older brother there and he went with me and I know I cried when Elvis stepped onto the stage.
I have seen him many times. We have both aged. Say what you will about his career path, it wont matter. I can be the first to say when I saw him with Emmy Lou Harris (and looked down from my suite to Michael (and I think his brother and wife!! I yelled they didnt hear me), I gagged a bit. I didnt like the twang but I do love the man and as any good woman will stand beside his choices even if he does appear an ass.
Love is forgiving. I love Elvis. Always will.