Elvis Costello - Riot Act (song & lyrics)

Album: Girls Girls Girls (1989)
Permissions: Universal Music Group
(Please pardon the typos)

Girls Girls Girls is a collection of songs by British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello from the period 1977-1986. Costello chose and ordered the tracks on the album himself, & accompanied them with extensive liner notes.

"Riot Act": From the wiped-out sound of this track you'd never guess that these dark thoughts were written on a beautiful beach at dawn.
Produced by Nick Lowe.
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A bit of the liner notes on the making of the album "GET HAPPY" (www.elviscostello.com)

This would all come to an end in April of 1979 at Columbus, Ohio, where a ridiculous drunken argument would culminate in me speaking the exact opposite of my true beliefs in an attempt to provoke a fight that inevitably arrived. That I was speaking in some absurd, exaggerated, supposedly ironic humour, in which everything is expressed in the reverse of that which one knows to be true, is no excuse. There was nothing sparkling or glorious about this wordplay, just the seed of madness. It was the product of crazed indulgence. The racial nature of these alleged remarks - I say "alleged" because I have about as much true memory of what actually transpired as any of the other drunken combatants - created a fairly major scandal.

Our records were pulled from the few radio play-lists where they were featured, our shows picketed by the very anti-racist organisation for which we had appeared six months earlier and there were over a hundred death threats to my person, necessitating the employment of armed bodyguards throughout the remaining dates. I left the U.S. having failed to explain myself to the satisfaction of the hysterical and, it must be said, delighted liberal press. The people I had supposedly slandered, Ray Charles and James Brown, had a much more generous view of these remarks, rightly putting them down to drunken idiocy. I didn't imagine that I would ever return, nor did I particularly think that I deserved to do so despite the fact that I knew in my heart that the people who had sought make mischief of the incident had many hypocrites among their number. I could never properly explain how such words came out of my mouth. The humour of outrage never did sit that well with people and is particularly useless if the intent is garbled drunkenly.

Only one of the songs on this record refers to these events, "Riot Act" and particularly the lines. "I got your letter, now they say I don't care for the colour that it paints me". With hindsight, it might be tempting to claim that I had some noble motive in basing this record on the music that I had admired and learned from prior to my brush with infamy. But if I was trying to pay respects and make such amends, I doubt if pride would have allowed me to express that thought after I had made my rather contrived explanation to that jury of the seething and self-righteous. I simply went back to work and relied on instinct, curiosity and enduring musical passions.
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Roger Bechirian Engineer, Balance Engineer
Barney Bubbles Cover Design
Elvis Costello Organ, Guitar, Vocals, Producer, Instrumentation
Dan Hersch Mastering
Nick Lowe Producer, Author
Keith Morris Photography
Steve Nieve Organ, Piano
Bruce Thomas Bass, Harmonica
Pete Thomas Drums
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Art video & spelling mistakes :( Tony 'Epic Fail' Tuthill (www.tonytuthill.com)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Girls Girls Girls
• Riot Act
• 1977-1986
• Roger Bechirian
• Barney Bubbles
• Dan Hersch
• Nick Lowe
• Kieth Morris
• Steve Nieve
• Bruce Thomas
• Pete Thomas
• Tony Tuthill
• Kinneas

[selysse]

After having seen "Elegy" last weekend, I was convinced that Philip Roth was the most miserable bastard on the planet.

Although, upon review of some old Elvis videos/lyrics, I'd say vintage Declan could give Roth a run for his money any day of the week. Don't get me wrong, I love Elvis. I also have a soft spot in my heart for miserable old tortured souls and grumpy old men.

[Delphi333]

I always felt no one does "bitter" better than Elvis. :-)

[TonyTuthill]

Truly. How about the song: "I want You." What are other really good 'bitter ones'?

[TonyTuthill]

I have never heard Philip Roth. I have some catching up to do. I love your comments. lol

[andrewleibs]

I remember reading in The Atlantic back in the early 80s of Elvis Costello's admiration of Cole Porter. "Riot Act's" tone, internal rhyme, and wordplay is oddly reminiscent of Porter, especially the "off the cuff" pun. Great video, by the way--Costello's lyrics definitely deserve center stage.

[TonyTuthill]

I could listen to you talk all day about E.C.

[switz223]

what a build up

"when your remarks ... are off the cuff!!!"

gets my hair totally standing on end

[cheleni1]

met him just after he sang this in southhamptom on the trust tour

[crapple009]

@maxBDAhustler As in happy, dude?

[candelise]

@lrd9999 Sure! The lyrics tell you all you need to know, more than any press conferance of apology could do.

[farmermaggot91]

This song was Originally on the "Get Happy" Album and was a last minute choice to go on the record.

I think it shouldn't have been on the "Girls Girls Girls" Album because the supposed theme behind the tune was the events that went place regarding Elvis Costellos racial joke around a pool game that ended up being published in the papers the following week.

[mulliganstew72]

@Delphi333 Nice. very smahhhhrt. 

[justawaiterminute]

GET HAPPY... one vinyl.. two cds... Yes I played it a bit too many times,,,, but Im still alive !!!!!!

[MrBaebel]

@hhholmes2010: yep! - you easily say the essential about costello in two words.

[hhholmes2010]

@MrBaebel

pure troll