Oliver's Army
| "Oliver's Army" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| A-side | "Oliver's Army" |
| B-side | "My Funny Valentine" |
"Oliver's Army" is a song written by Elvis Costello, originally performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions and appearing on the album Armed Forces in 1979. It remains his biggest hit single to date, reaching #2 in the UK singles chart.[2]
Meaning
Music critics, such as Professor Simon Frith [3] and others [4] have suggested that the title refers to Oliver Cromwell whose New Model Army was a forerunner to the modern British Army.
Of the song's meaning, Costello himself has stated: "I made my first trip to Belfast in 1978 and saw mere boys walking around in battle dress with automatic weapons. They were no longer just on the evening news. These snapshot experiences exploded into visions of mercenaries and imperial armies around the world. The song was based on the premise 'they always get a working class boy to do the killing'. I don't know who said that; maybe it was me, but it seems to be true nonetheless. I pretty much had the song sketched out on the plane back to London."[5]
Location References
As well as the Troubles, the song alludes to several other "trouble spots" around the world at the time, such as South Africa, Palestine, Hong Kong, "Checkpoint Charlie" and the "Murder mile". As such it has become an "anti-occupation anthem".[6]
Controversial Lyrics
Notably, the song lyrics contain the phrase "white nigger", which usually remains uncensored on radio stations.
Recording
During the recording of Armed Forces at Eden Studios in West London, the incomplete "Oliver's Army" was nearly dropped from the album, but was eventually kept after keyboardist Steve Nieve created the piano part for the song, inspired, perhaps ironically, by ABBA's "Dancing Queen."
Covers
The song has been covered by a large number of artists, including Raimundos, [spunge], Belle & Sebastian, Peter Mulvey, OK Go, O'Malley's March, Dirty Pretty Things, and Turtle Recall. The song was also covered by Californian Punk Rock band The Sex Presleys, retitled "Fleetwood Cod Army" referring to supporters of Fleetwood Town F.C..
Video
The music video for "Oliver's Army" was aired on MTV's first U.S. broadcast day, August 1, 1981.
Notes
- ^ "BPI Certified Awards". Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ "UK Top 40 Hit Database". Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ "Academic waxes lyrical about pop's meaning: David Lister finds the message in the medium as musicologists join for an evening of deconstruction at independent.com". Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ^ "The Freaky Trigger Top 100 Tracks Of All Time: No. 57 ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS - "Oliver's Army" at freakytrigger.co.uk". Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ^ Armed Forces. Rhino Records. 2002 (sleeve notes).
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Chonin, Neva (7 June, 1999). "Costello Helps Lift the Fog at Fleadh". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
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