Costello and Shakespeare

[Adam]

Hi,

I'm researching the relationships between Shakespeare and popular music. As I'm sure you know, Elvis Costello has a long and rich heritage of engaging with Shakespearean imagery and themes (Juliet Letters, Il Sogno, 'Mystery Dance').

What I'm really interested in, though, is how his fans respond to these kinds of relationships and allusions. It seems to me the fans' perspective is missing from a lot of accounts of 'Shakespeare and Popular Music'.

So I'd really, really appreciate it if you could spend a few moments thinking about and hopefully responding to these questions (if they seem lame, by all means go off topic!):

Do you notice/care about allusions to Shakespeare in Costello songs/albums, and if so, how do they make you feel about Costello and/or Shakespeare? Why do you think Costello might incorporate these kinds of links to Shakespeare in his work?

Any ideas, comments or suggestions would be hugely welcome. Many thanks in advance for your time.

[charliestumpy]

Many thanks to sad co-fellow Chels supporter Jimmy in Wells, Somerset for introducing me to Costello in 1977.

I like/buy Costello (and about 43 others, including Dylan/Joni Mitchell etc etc) even though he likes Liver (1st place in UK I ever landed).

A bit of Willie Shake is ok, (I love/publish all sort of good literature but he/they ripped off all).

All I can say is 'What the momofuku'.

[thepopeofpop]

One should remember that Costello was commissioned to write Il Sogno as the score to accompany A Midsummer Night's Dream. That being said, he obviously is familiar with the play.

Clearly though it is Romeo and Juliet that is the recurring Shakespearian allusion in Costello's work. I'm scratching my head trying to think of other Shakespeare references in Costello songs. I'm sure there are some, but I'm not coming up with a lot off the top of my head.

I think it's an interesting topic though. I've certainly included plenty of references to Shakespeare in my songs!

Let's see what we can come up with for Costello:

"Just a Memory" does include a reference to "Measure For Measure"

"Miss Macbeth" is fairly obvious.

"The Crimes of Paris" is not a Shakespearian reference (nor a reference to the Iliad!) but rather a reference to the city itself as far as Costello himself can determine.

[DeathWearsABigHat]

a couple more quite obvious Shaky references in EC's work....

"Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill." (opening line of Mystery Dance)

and the Julilet Letters album.

There are probably loads of other less obvious ones that I'm not well-read enough to notice.

for the person researching pop music's links to Shaky, hast thou considered Morrissey? He's a very well read fellow who liked to put literary allusions in to his lyrics. A couple that spring to mind are Shakespear's Sister (always spelt without the "e" for some reason) & "King Leer", the title of which is better than the actual song.

[Otis Westinghouse]

MA? PhD?

This 'Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference' has a post on it that echoes the above:

http://www.shaksper.net/archives/1997/0396.html

'Elvis Costello frequently refers to Shakespeare. "Mystery Dance" is a
scene between Romeo and Juliet and "Crimes of Paris" is arguably an
allusion to the same. Also the album with the Brodsky Quartet "The
Juliet Letters" was inspired by the fact that someone in Verona answers
letters written to Juliet.

Maybe I should say he frequently refers to R&J.'

My fan perspective is that R&J is very much in the fabric of popular culture and doesn't indicate a particular focus on Shakespeare, more the use of the couple as a reference point, though with a nice juxtaposition of the Shakespearean culture and rock 'n' roll. It signalled Costello's wit and imagination as a lyricist more than his interest in the bard. Juliet Letters is very much using a particular context of the Verona letter-writer. I can't think of any other refs, either (I keep thinking there must be some on All This Useless Beauty but that's probably due to the harking back to antiquity from the art gallery in the title track more than anything else). 'Better take another measure for measure' refs the title but no more (playing on 'measure' as a liquid measure, i.e. booze).

Googling also found a ref to a self-deprecating comparison between himself and Shakespeare:

'Sometimes doing an old song is like returning to the text of a play. It's not invalid, just because it's old, otherwise nobody would be acting Shakespeare - Not to say that everything I do is Shakespeare! - But it's inevitable that it changes its meaning or impact. That's why I never really sing anything from a nostalgic point of view, because even if it's 25 years old, it's in the moment. That's the beauty of live performance.'

Costello is very much steeped in musical history and, despite his verbal dexterity, reflects little in the way of literary history. I think he's said in interviews that he's never been a big reader. John Foyle can probably fill us in a bit here!

[Adam]

Thanks to everyone who has replied - all comments are much appreciated. I've already accounted for the references highlighted (and there are many more, in Costello and elsewhere), but what I've found really valuable are your repsonses as fans - whether you're bothered, impressed, non-plussed etc. by Costello's high-culture allusiveness. This research is not for an MA or PhD - sadly those days are well behind me now! - but for a chapter in a forthcoming collection on Shakespeare and the Arts. I've been commissioned to combine 2 of my loves - pop and Shakespeare. I've seen some of John Foyle's excellent posts on this site - it'd be great if he could offer some ideas!
All best,
Adam.

[johnfoyle]

I've seen some of John Foyle's excellent posts on this site - it'd be great if he could offer some ideas!

Me 'n Will S. never really got on. I'm not very proud to admit that my main study of MacBeth and Julius Caesar when I did them at school was too read the Lamb's Tales version. I still managed to get a decent enough exam result so it wasn't all bad. However I appreciate your point that your are primarily interested in reactions to 'Costello's high-culture allusiveness'. I'll have a think and , hopefully, post something over the weekend.

[pophead2k]

I'm not sure if you're interested in Costello's collaboration with John Harle, which was taken from Shakesperean text. The pieces weren't written by Costello, but might be ineresting nonetheless.

http://www.harlerecords.com/

[Otis Westinghouse]

Witty, brilliant and intelligent, yes, but allusive to high culture? Not really. Surely there would need to be more refs to TS Eliot, among others. How about The Jam, 'Meet me on the wasteland later this day'...

[martinfoyle]

Mark Perry posted this amusing response on the eclistserv. No disrespect meant to the query, which is way beyond me to be honest, I'm sure Adam will appreciate the humour.

I thought one of you two lazy bastards might need some help motivating
yourselves for this so I've included a multiple-choice version below.

You now have no excuse for not helping to further the cause of important
scholarship.

Mark


----------------------------------------------------

Dear Professor,


In reply to yours of the 3rd inst. please be so kind as to find my answers
below:


> Do you notice/care about allusions to Shakespeare in Costello
songs/albums

(a) No.

(b) Yes.

(c) What's an allusion, dude? Is it like that thing that you see when
you're in the desert but like it isn't like really there or something?


> and if so, how do they make you feel about Costello and/or Shakespeare?

(a) Tired.

(b) Mildly aroused.

(c) Whoa, this is some seriously strong shit, man. What was the question
again?


> Why do you think Costello might incorporate these kinds of links to
Shakespeare in his work?

(a) Because it makes him look big and clever.

(b) Because there are only so many Bret Easton Ellis references he can get
away with.

(c) Because the clever chicks really go for all that literature shit and
some of them are like seriously hot, you know?


Hope this helps. Good luck with the research.


I remain yours faithfully,

[insert your name here]

[Adam]

Ha! I had toyed with the idea of a formal survey, but now realise I'd never have been able to produce something so rigorous and probing. All good fun, ta!

Best,
Adam.

[Adam]

Hi again all,

Would anyone mind if I cited, quoted or summarised them in my work? I'd particularly like to use the fake survey (which was both funny and useful). If anyone wouldn't want to be cited in my piece, that's fine - I just thought I'd check.

All best,
Adam.

[johnfoyle]

No problem with quoting from me.......when I get around to posting something - hopefully this weekend. Mark Perry , who devised the fake 'survey, is usually cool with 'net re-use .

[charliestumpy]

There are still 500000 etc DPAM/whom-whatsoever was claiming to be 'the bard' references on e.g. Googly, apart from what each of us sees/hears in EC noise-video product.

Unfortunately for many people, grand (derivative) qualities in Shaksper etc have been soiled by institutional imposition.

So far EC has avoided this fate (give or take the Momofuku etc).

When he is officially departed,(and I wish him/his/all many happy healthy good years) EC qualities too might be more appreciated. As much as I rate EC lyrically, I prefer him musically to Willie the Shake.