New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Pretty self-explanatory
sweetest punch
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New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by sweetest punch »

https://twitter.com/ElvisCostello?ref_s ... r%5Eauthor

She is not the one you want to provoke...
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Those were different days
Those were different drugs
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Repeating something that I whispered about
They have to take it but they can’t dish it out...

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She was trading favours for footnote plugs...
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To a chalk-lined body that was full of slugs...
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From a gold-plate palace with half-mast flags...
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Peel off your skin like a thin veneer.
If someone tells me something that I didn’t hear from you...

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She could kill a man with a single stroke...
Image
Last edited by sweetest punch on Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:23 am, edited 3 times in total.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
jardine
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Re: Hetty O’Hara Confidential?

Post by jardine »

is this a hint for the july 10th song release? is that date correct? 10? 20? seems like months ago
sweetest punch
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by sweetest punch »

New tweets: https://twitter.com/ElvisCostello?ref_s ... r%5Eauthor

And who had her first?
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Who’s got your girlfriend?
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An unquenchable thirst...
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A morphine tattoo...
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Who’s got the needle?
Who is fit to burst?

Image
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

EC has posted a Elvis Costello Essentials playlist on Apple Music. No Flag is included but not this song
sweetest punch
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by sweetest punch »

More tweets:

If there’s a gentleman caller to comely wench.
And a snooping peeper in a cost of trench

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Place a line or two at the foot of the page
A cue or clue to the latest rage
Your true dimensions and your actual age
Trade a life of scandal for a career on the stage

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She could kill man with a single stroke
She’s not the one you want to provoke
If you can’t take the heat
Or you can’t take a joke

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If there’s a gentleman caller to comely wench
And a snooping peeper in a coat of trench

Image

Repeating something that I whispered about
They have to take it but they can’t dish it out...

Image

She could kill man with a single stroke
She’s not the one you want to provoke
If you can’t take the heat
Or you can’t take a joke

Image
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Man out of Time
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by Man out of Time »

For the sake of posterity, here is the Elvis Costello Essentials playlist on Apple Music:
  • No Flag, Single, 3:56
    The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes, My Aim Is True, 2:46
    Unwanted Number, Look Now, 3:33
    Pump It Up, This Year's Model, 3:18
    (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?, Armed Forces, 3:33
    Alison, My Aim Is True, 3:23
    Accidents Will Happen, Armed Forces, 3:00
    Veronica, Spike, 3:08
    Every Day I Write The Book, Punch The Clock, 3:54
    Watching The Detectives (single version) My Aim Is True, 3:45
    Radio, Radio, This Year's Model, 3:06
    High Fidelity, Get Happy!! 2:27
    (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea, Taking Liberties, 3:07
    Clubland, Trust, 3:43
    Beyond Belief, Imperial Bedroom, 2:34
    Oliver’s Army, Armed Forces, 3:00
    Man Out Of Time, Imperial Bedroom, 5:27
    Brilliant Mistake, King Of America, 3:43
    She, Timeless Love Songs, 3:08
    Good Year For The Roses, Almost Blue, 3:10
    Almost Blue, Imperial Bedroom, 2:50
    Indoor Fireworks, King Of America, 4:09
    I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, Get Happy!!, 2:06
    Shipbuilding, Punch The Clock, 4:53
    New Lace Sleeves, Trust, 3:48
    I Want You, Blood And Chocolate, 6:41
    God Give Me Strength, The Sweetest Punch – the New Songs of Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach 4:41
The Editor's note as a preface to the list says:

"Elvis Costello may be a revered pop craftsman, honing his acidic wordplay like a Brill Building master, but he plays with the agitated energy of a born outsider. His New Wave-era anthems like “Pump It Up” still deliver an ecstatic jolt, blending the sharp riffs of the British Invasion with the bounce of Motown. Of course, they’re just the beginning of Costello’s endlessly shape-shifting but always inimitable songbook. He’s hidden remarkably biting lyrics under gorgeous soul melodies (“Alison”), explored psychedelia at its darkest edges (“Beyond Belief”), and even reinvented himself as a Nashville crooner (“Good Year For The Roses”).

MOOT
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by sulky lad »

Strange order, obviously created by a Columbia exec as Chelsea comes from Taking Liberties rather than TYM, PLU and Radio Radio are ascribed to the U.S. releases rather than the original U.K. issues as is Detectives.
oh and by the way, do you think the lines with the Eamon Singer drawings should be a coat of trench rather than a cost of trench - just me being pedantic !
Hawksmoor
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by Hawksmoor »

Man out of Time wrote:For the sake of posterity, here is the Elvis Costello Essentials playlist on Apple Music:
  • No Flag, Single, 3:56
    The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes, My Aim Is True, 2:46
    Unwanted Number, Look Now, 3:33
    Pump It Up, This Year's Model, 3:18
    (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?, Armed Forces, 3:33
    Alison, My Aim Is True, 3:23
    Accidents Will Happen, Armed Forces, 3:00
    Veronica, Spike, 3:08
    Every Day I Write The Book, Punch The Clock, 3:54
    Watching The Detectives (single version) My Aim Is True, 3:45
    Radio, Radio, This Year's Model, 3:06
    High Fidelity, Get Happy!! 2:27
    (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea, Taking Liberties, 3:07
    Clubland, Trust, 3:43
    Beyond Belief, Imperial Bedroom, 2:34
    Oliver’s Army, Armed Forces, 3:00
    Man Out Of Time, Imperial Bedroom, 5:27
    Brilliant Mistake, King Of America, 3:43
    She, Timeless Love Songs, 3:08
    Good Year For The Roses, Almost Blue, 3:10
    Almost Blue, Imperial Bedroom, 2:50
    Indoor Fireworks, King Of America, 4:09
    I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, Get Happy!!, 2:06
    Shipbuilding, Punch The Clock, 4:53
    New Lace Sleeves, Trust, 3:48
    I Want You, Blood And Chocolate, 6:41
    God Give Me Strength, The Sweetest Punch – the New Songs of Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach 4:41
The Editor's note as a preface to the list says:

"Elvis Costello may be a revered pop craftsman, honing his acidic wordplay like a Brill Building master, but he plays with the agitated energy of a born outsider. His New Wave-era anthems like “Pump It Up” still deliver an ecstatic jolt, blending the sharp riffs of the British Invasion with the bounce of Motown. Of course, they’re just the beginning of Costello’s endlessly shape-shifting but always inimitable songbook. He’s hidden remarkably biting lyrics under gorgeous soul melodies (“Alison”), explored psychedelia at its darkest edges (“Beyond Belief”), and even reinvented himself as a Nashville crooner (“Good Year For The Roses”).

MOOT
I gotta say, it's not thrilling me. No idea who 'the editor' is but this reads like the usual collection of stock phrases from someone who hasn't actually listened to an Elvis Costello LP in more than 30 years. This is the greatest and most stylistically versatile popular musician of the last hundred years, and the best you can manage is the surprise revelation that in 1981 he made a country-and-western record?

It also irks me that when this kind of stuff happens, there is so little acknowledgement of Elvis' career post 1986. Here - as usual - we have the latest single (naturally), one track from his most recent LP, two 1990s ballads (one of which is a cover), and Veronica. Everything else - 22 out of 27 tracks - is pre-1987. In fact, even Veronica is...1989? So that means that nearly 90% of the 'essentials' (wonderful songs though they are, don't get me wrong) ignores the last 30 years of Elvis Costello's career.

Now - we all know that if you completely ignored everything pre-1990, Elvis Costello would still have a gargantuan catalogue of high quality pop music that few, if any, could equal. But these 'essentials' and 'best ofs' always seem to focus on the 1970s and 1980s stuff. Not that that's not good stuff! But I could reel off twenty 1990-2020 songs that deserve to be on that list, and I bet you could too!
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And No Coffee Table
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by And No Coffee Table »

The "Essentials" playlist is just the 2007 compilation The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years with "No Flag," "Unwanted Number," "Veronica," "She," and "God Give Me Strength" added and the order scrambled.

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... t_10_Years
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by jardine »

okay, so new EC song friday, third Bill Callahan new song next monday. nice
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by Neil. »

By the sound of the lyrics and the look of the images, this is going to be a very dark and twisted song.

I presume they were recorded before the lockdown. It's interesting that he said when in lockdown, he'd suddenly started writing joyous, happy songs.

Sounds like we're gonna need those as an antidote to this new one! Crikey!
jardine
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by jardine »

try these! once you get past "the pigeons ate the wedding rice and exploded somewhere over San Antonio," its clear sailing!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQp3nZe6kI4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3rR3JOVfQ
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10?

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sweetest punch
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
jardine
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by jardine »

okay, c'mon. a well-made, expensive book of ECs paintings. I really do love them...

...and, oh, yes, that clip. i'm very happy to be shook and yes, o'h-are-a, not o'h-air-a
sweetest punch
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
sulky lad
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by sulky lad »

jardine wrote:okay, c'mon. a well-made, expensive book of ECs paintings. I really do love them...

...and, oh, yes, that clip. i'm very happy to be shook and yes, o'h-are-a, not o'h-air-a
Should we be getting definitive advice on pronunciation from our Eire correspondent?
I remember him making himself understood in Sligo after all ! :wink: :roll:
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And No Coffee Table
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by And No Coffee Table »

https://www.elviscostello.com/#!/news/299247

“HETTY O’HARA CONFIDENTIAL”, BY ELVIS COSTELLO.

Today marks the release of “Hetty O’Hara Confidential”, by Elvis Costello.

The tale of a tattler who outlives her time.

Produced by Elvis Costello at Suomenlinnan Studio in Helsinki, Finland, the song was recorded and engineered by Eetü Seppälä and mixed in Los Angeles by Sebastian Krys.

Costello is credited with: Mouth, Hammond Organ, Fender Jazzmaster, Upright Piano, Rhythm Ace & All Other Noises.

The recording and a new moving picture clip by Eamon Singer and Arlo McFurlow are available today, July 10th, by electrical wire and issued by Concord Records.

'Hetty O'Hara Confidential' Available Now!

Look out for the next installment on August 14th.

Watch 'Hetty O'Hara Confidential' Lyric Video:

Hawksmoor
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by Hawksmoor »

Fantastic. Quirky, catchy tune, typically brilliant lyrics with some laugh-out-loud good rhymes. Unlike anything on Look Now but perhaps sonically reminiscent of some of WIWC? 65 and still at the top of his game, these are good times. Love it.
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by Top balcony »

Hawksmoor wrote: Love it.
Me too
And loving the 'old school' feel of this release sequence, buying these 'via electrical wire' on the day of issue reminds me very much of my earliest record collecting days, purchasing eagerly awaited 45s from record shops the day they came out. Roll on August 14th.I wonder how many of these new tunes are in the can?
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by Fishfinger king »

Agree with the WIWC likeness - seems like a cousin of Spooky Girlfriend with a bit of Hurry Down Doomsday for good measure.
It is fun downloading these with little warning - but I hope there will be vinyl/CD compilation of these tracks in due course (for us oldies).
Can't you see I'm trying to change this water to wine
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by jardine »

speaking of oldies, yes. the spark in this is just fabulous. playing it and noflag videos back to back is downright cinematic. paintings are garish and lyrics are like hot spit...fit together fabulously. Funny, cutting. Yes!!Kill a man with a single stroke!
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by And No Coffee Table »

Sebastian Krys retweeted a clip of a DJ on Spain's Radio 3 playing "Hetty O'Hara Confidential" with EC introducing the song in Spanish: "Para mis amigos de Radio 3, yo soy Elvis Costello."

https://twitter.com/HETradio3/status/12 ... 2233277440
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by Harry Lime »

Both new songs are grouped together on Spotify. They sound good when played back to back!
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jardine
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Re: New song ‘Hetty O’Hara Confidential’, July 10, 2020

Post by jardine »

So many wonderful, cutting lines and images. Reminds me of TYM in its fame-distain and the sharpness of the writing/playing...very happy!!
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