Everyday I Write the Book
"Everyday I Write the Book" | ||||
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Elvis Costello and the Attractions singles chronology | ||||
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"Everyday I Write the Book" is a song written by
Background
In an interview from November 1998, Costello said "Everyday I Write the Book" was "a song I wrote in ten minutes almost as a challenge to myself. I thought, maybe I could write just a simple, almost
Costello also cited Nick Lowe and Rockpile as an influence on the song; he explained, "[Lowe] has always been a songwriter from whom I've taken cues — see his song 'When I Write the Book,' and my song 'Everyday I Write the Book'."[5]
Lyrics
The lyrics draw various parallels between romance and the process of writing a book. The narrator identifies himself as "a man with a mission in two or three editions" and tells his lover "your compliments and your cutting remarks are captured here in my quotation marks." He also compares the stages of their relationship with chapters in a book, saying:
Chapter One, we didn't really get along
Chapter Two; I think I fell in love with you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three
But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four, Five and Six[6]
Video
The music video for "Everyday I Write the Book" was directed by
When Prince Charles appears wielding a rapier and wearing a swashbuckler costume like that of the actors in the silent film, Princess Diana rolls her eyes and returns her attention to the television. Further attempts by Prince Charles to impress his spouse—including presenting her with a red rose and jumping through a flaming hoop—are similarly rebuffed as she is more interested in the romances depicted on her television. Costello later commented that he had "no idea" of the reason for the interspersed royalty scenes, which were, he says, the director's idea.[7] At one point, the singer drops two stone tablets similar to those in the classic film The Ten Commandments[8] and they are smashed.
"Heathen Town"
The single was backed with the non-album B-side "Heathen Town", which Costello described as his answer song to the Flying Burritos Brothers' "Sin City".[9] It later was released on the compilation Out of Our Idiot.
Reviews
Costello's live performances
I like singing it now, but I don't much care for the record.
— Costello in a June 2009 interview[15]
Costello has referred to "Everyday I Write the Book" as "a bad Smokey Robinson song";[2] in a June 1994 Central Park concert, it was one of only two of his best-known songs performed without remaining faithful to the original recording, with Costello instead performing it in what he called its "original" version.[16] A review of an August 2009 performance at the Ravinia Festival with "the Sugarcanes" was described as having its "hooky chorus turned into a dour lament".[17] In October 2015 Costello performed an acoustic version of the song as the conclusion to on stage book tour interviews promoting his memoir Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink (2015).[18]
Appearances
The song was re-released on the 1985 compilation album
In 2010, in appearances premiering within a month of each other, the song was chosen by both Robert Harris[20] and Nick Park[21] as one of their "Desert Island Discs."
Charts
Chart (1983) | Peak position |
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US Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |
US Top Rock Tracks | 33 |
References
- ^ Holden, Stephen (14 September 1983). "THE POP LIFE - NYTimes.com". Select.nytimes.com. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d "REVIEW: Elvis Costello DVD - The Right Spectacle". Morethings.com. 13 October 2005. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "Elvis Costello - Biography". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "Simongriggdotinfo | An Elvis Costello Interview". Simongrigg.info. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ Binelli, Mark (29 November 2018). "St. Nick: The Long, Strange and Wonderful Career of Nick Lowe". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ "Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write The Book Lyrics". Seeklyrics.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ a b Costello's audio commentary on the Right Spectacle dvd
- ^ a b "Everyday I Write the Book | Elvis Costello | Music Video". MTV. 6 January 1990. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-86074-293-4.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 13 August 1983. p. 10. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Punch the Clock - Elvis Costello,Elvis Costello & the Attractions | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "Elvis Costello - Punch The Clock - On Second Thought". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ a b "CG: Elvis Costello and the Attractions". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ Mosi Reeves (3 March 2005). "This Year's Model | New Times Broward-Palm Beach". Browardpalmbeach.com. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "Elvis Costello interview". Telegraph. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ Neil Strauss (10 June 1994). "Review/Pop; Down Memory Lane the Elvis Costello Way - New York Times". The New York Times. Central Park (Nyc). Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "Chicago Music & Nightlife". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "Book Tour – 'Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink' by Elvis Costello". Blogcritics.orgb. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Soundtrack - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Robert Harris". Bbc.co.uk. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Nick Park". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 May 2014.