1983 – what a year. The Dog had just left school, was a happy young man busy studying in Catering College, busy courting Mrs. Dog, busy playing in my band, busy drinking too much alcohol – all in all a pretty good year. I can, however, remember being totally stunned by this song and can still recall the shivers down my spine on seeing and hearing this guy on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
This song was written by Elvis Costello and producer Clive Langer during the Falklands War of 1982. Costello’s lyrics discuss the contradiction of the war bringing back prosperity to traditional shipbuilding areas of Merseyside (Cammell Laird), North East England and Belfast (Harland and Wolff) to build new ships to replace those being sunk in the war, whilst also sending off the sons of these areas to fight and, potentially, lose their lives in those same ships – Costello has described it as “the best lyrics I’ve ever written”.
Robert Wyatt released the song in 1982 and it reached number 36 in the UK charts in May of the following year, marking the first ever UK Top 40 entry for Rough Trade Records and was number 2 in John Peel’s Festive Fifty for tracks from that year.
We all hear the word genius being used too frequently these days – but the collaboration between Langer/Costello and Wyatt is simply that – genius.
Is it worth it?
A new winter coat and shoes for the wife
And a bicycle on the boy’s birthday
It’s just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children
Soon we’ll be shipbuilding
Well I ask you
The boy said, “Dad they’re going to take me to task
But I’ll be back by Christmas”
It’s just a rumour that was spread around town
Somebody said that someone got filled in
For saying that people get killed
in the result of this shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
It’s just a rumour that was spread around town
A telegram or a picture-postcard
Within weeks they’ll be re-opening the shipyard
And notifying the next of kin – once again
It’s all we’re skilled in
We will be shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
Another all time classic. Memories of this one tend to revolve around the fact that the first time I ever heard it, probably on the radio at work or something, somehow or other, without knowing anything at all about it, I just instinctively knew that it had been written by Elvis Costello. Don’t ask me how, but I just knew.
I was a bit surprised when I found out who was singing it. I had always associated Robert Wyatt with Soft Machine and various incarnations of the Gong line up. This is just about the polar opposite in style, fantastic nevertheless.
On the subject of Elvis, I have to say that apart from Oliver’s Army, I never really thought he was very interesting until I stumbled across Juliet Letters with The Brodsky Quartet. That one is just incredible and well worth picking up if you can find it.
Hey Mr LD – great song of the month thanks and keep it up