Today’s slow drag is with “Little Atoms,” from “All This Useless Beauty,” released in 1996. The songwriting is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name.
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Written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA
Twitter: @slowdragremedy
Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com
Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com
Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag
References:
Elvis Costello Wiki Resource: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Little_Atoms
“Little Atoms” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7OSkO1vG7I
Rolling Stone review of “All This Useless Beauty” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/all-this-useless-beauty-204765/
“All This Useless Beauty” review: https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-this-useless-beauty-mw0000173695
A “conceit”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conceit
Elvis Costello, “Little Atoms,” “Larry Sanders”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unpbrKHtSSE
1 Corinthians 13: http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/1COR+13.html
"Little Atoms" Lyrics
I arose and Marigold lay down with Curious Iris
Cherry gave to Victor her prudence and her virus
For the sake of purity I can recall the time and place
Between Wisdom and Murder she gave up her immaculate face
(Chorus:)
My poor belated chastity fell foul of grown up games,
With false and lovely modesty
I can recall the names I'll miss
In the particle of me that cares for this
I betrayed those little atoms with a kiss
Patience has her virtue still
but every grace must have its price
I through some felicity may spin a tale of constant vice
I took my better nature out, drowned it in the babbling stream
Took the blossom of my youth and blew it all to smithereens
(Repeat Chorus)
And if you still don't like my song / then you can just go to hell
I don't care if I'm right or wrong / or if my typewriter can spell
But I cannot promise you I've said "Goodbye" to childish things
There's still some pretty insults left and such sport in threatening
(Repeat Chorus)
And for the sake of clarity
They are "Faith", "Hope", and "Charity"
In the particle of me that cares for this
I betrayed those little atoms with a kiss