Two years after Mighty Like a Rose, Elvis Costello took his biggest musical detour yet, releasing an album recorded with the backing of The Brodsky String Quartet.
1993’s The Juliet Letters wasn’t a pop album with strings, it was a suite composed for strings and vocals. And if Costello’s voice sometimes had to strain to hit the operatic notes he composed, so be it.
Costello got the idea to write an album of correspondence after hearing a story about a professor in Verona who took it upon himself to answer the many letters still addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet that reach the Italian town. That story gave the album its title, though the Juliet connection shows up on just a couple of songs. The rest take the form of letters of one sort or another, including a piece of junk mail.
I enjoy this album far more than I should, given my complete lack of interest in chamber music. The Brodsky Quartet (who share in the composition of many of these songs) are good at what they do, I suppose, though I remember reading a few dismissive reviews that looked down on their music as pedestrian. Get a life, I say.
Costello was inspired by the romantic origins of this project to write some of his most poignant love songs to date. Among my favorites is ‘The First to Leave,’ which takes the form of a letter written by a dying spouse. She and her husband differ in their beliefs about the existence of an afterlife — she believes, he doesn’t. And when she passes away, she leaves this note behind for him to find.
For if you’re reading this
You must have opened up your case
And found this letter where I placed it
In between the silk and lace
There were other clues, like your walking shoes
But I still refused to believe
That you were meant to be the first to leave
Everybody here sends you their love
How can I forget you still walk above
Or
below
Perhaps you’ll never know this purgatory
We never could agree
There’s a thought, there’s a pause
No time to repent
Eternally yours
In a permanent lent
But if I should give you up
If you’re right and life just stops
And I never see your face again
Then from unearthly pleasures, proud and plain
I shall abstain
Until you realise, my loss is your surprise
Unless you know otherwise
Then don’t grieve
You see I had to be the first to leave
Meet Me In Montauk 
As you know, I never really followed EC down this particular detour. Indeed, I think I sold the album back after perhaps one run through. However, because it has been consistently praised by both you and Ned over the years, I have given parts of the album further listening when it “magically” appeared on my IPod:)
I recognize that, generally, I was too dismissive of this album as it does contain some wonderful songwriting. Still, at the end of the day, it’s just not really my cup of tea and, as Amy has often said, when you have so many other songs and albums by an artist that you adore, why spend time reaching for one you don’t adore as much?
You got it backwards- the man is the one of faith and is deceased. He has left her the letter. I can’t quite figure out the story in this song though. “There were other clues – like your walking shoes”. I always wondered if the man thought his wife was going to leave him so he kills himself? The lyrics are confusing.
I should also add – I absolutely love this album and consider it Costello’s best work. I had no idea he was such a great melodist. I got to see the entire album performed live at the town hall in Manhattan on the very final night of the tour. It was amazing.