SONG TITLE: PILLS AND SOAP
PERFORMER: ELVIS COSTELLO
SONGWRITER: ELVIS COSTELLO
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1983
COMMENTS: Here's the perfect pop song. It is a classic pop song: catchy
singable chorus ("What would you say,..."), rhythm hooks aplenty (the
handclaps, for one), everything to make you hum it and clap your hands later
walking down the street, as I have done repeatedly.
Only, it's a pop song for maybe, like, an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The main
vocal melody is low pitched and cold. (The echo chamber effect on the
vocals
is nice.) Speaking quietly and calmly, but too even pitched - something's
wrong. The real expression of fucked-upness comes from Steve Nieve and his
gently and subtly disturbed keyboards. Again, Nieve's Norman Bates keyboards
are a whole layer of hooks in themselves. Tasty ear candy - with razor
blades in it.
As to the lyrics. Despite Elvis' reputation as a wordsmith, this song is
definitely here because of the melody and arrangement, cause these words
don't really add up. There are several well realized horror scenarios,
such
as the ghoulish media scene. Especially, the central image: "Children
and
animals two by two. Give me the needle, give me the rope: we're going to melt
them down for pills and soap." That's a very nicely perverted invocation of
Noah's ark. There are numerous nicely gruesome lyrical hooks. But
what's
the point? Is it supposed to be that Reagan and Thatcher are killing the
poor people, or some such nonsense? Please. Whatever it is, it is not
really
very clear.
However, I would advise leaving a wide berth between you and the very
disturbed person dreaming this nightmare.
Link
Soup
morethings master
photo gallery index
MP3
new album
releases
sammy davis
little richard photos
buddy holly pictures
fats domino images
chuck berry pictures 01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
la
manchurian candidate pictures
24
lucille ball images james
blunt photos
clint eastwood pictures lena
horne images team
america pictures
robert mitchum photos
bruce springsteen pictures
mariah carey pictures
ann coulter photos
sissy spacek pictures
tanya tucker images
loretta lynn pictures
beatles pictures
white stripes pictures
andy griffith pictures
kill bill pictures
parliament funkadelic p-funk pictures
beverly hillbillies pictures
al
barger
frank zappa pictures
jerry lee lewis pictures
richard pryor photos
june carter johnny cash pictures
vic mackey shield pictures
macy gray pictures
james cagney images
elvis presley pictures
gwen stefani images
dolly parton pictures
devil whores pictures
tom petty photos
tori amos pictures
joaquin phoenix images
Quills movie images
peter lorre images
reese witherspoon pictures
flaming lips images rolling
stones photos
fiona apple images dr
strangelove pictures elvis
costello images
ray charles photos marx
brothers pictures
prince rogers nelson pictures blazing
saddles images
sinead o'connor images
eddie murphy photos all
in the family pictures
south park pictures homer
simpson images
bob dylan pictures elizabeth
taylor photos drawn
together images
saturday night live pictures hee
haw pictures james
brown images pete
townshend photos
tina turner pictures
dixie chicks photos
robert anton wilson images
guns n roses pictures
paula abdul pictures
jodie foster photos
borat
eminem
frank sinatra photos
van halen images
satan