A few years ago I was in an Elvis Costello tribute show and “Welcome To The Working Week” was one of the numbers I put together. I’ve always really liked this song and the fact that it’s the lead track from My Aim Is True makes it that much better. I’m a sucker for a short/hot song that starts and album and gets things off to a running start.
The lyrics also totally fit the modern-day working-man’s-plight style that I was into a few years ago when my Bees album came out. At the time I was sick of love songs, sick of songs about angst, and generally sick of songs that were about the songwriter, per se. I was trying to find some kind of new ground using plots and characters to evoke emotion rather than talking about being emotional. It was more about scenarios.
I’ve gotten off that tip and am trying out new ground, but revisiting this song reminded me just how great a lyricist Elvis Costello is. Maybe it’s not even the words exactly, but the conviction he sings them with. He’s like David Bowie in that way. You may not always understand what the two of them are singing about, but they have a great dramatic way of acting out their songs. Enjoy!
BTW, I have had a cold this week, so I’m sure you’ll hear it in the lead vocal…
Best, Peter – ACA
= A+
choice choice
excellent execution
well done, sir