Elvis Costello missed a shot at an Oscar nomination for his song ‘God Give Me Strength,’ co-written with Burt Bacharach for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart. That song is a thing of beauty, far superior to the schlock that wound up nominated (though I am a fan of ‘That Thing You Do,’ the Adam Schlesinger-penned title track from that Tom Hanks film).
But the Academy made up for their oversight eight years later by nominating today’s track, ‘The Scarlet Tide,’ which Costello wrote for the film Cold Mountain. He didn’t win (the award went to some forgettable tune from Return of the King, piling on to that film’s sweep) but he did get the chance to perform, with Alison Krauss, in front of one of his largest audiences ever.
Cold Mountain was a mediocre movie best remembered for the grating Renee Zelwegger performance that inexplicably won her an Oscar, but the soundtrack was pretty great. Produced by T. Bone Burnett, like the much-loved O Brother Where Are Thou? soundtrack, it featured songs in the traditional folk style by Jack White and Sting as well as Costello.
In the film, ‘The Scarlet Tide’ was performed as a solo by Krauss. It was later released as the final track of The Delivery Man, performed as a duet by Costello and Emmylou Harris. It’s a lovely finish to a solid album.
Must I accept his fate?
Or take myself far from this place
I thought I heard a black bell toll
A little bird did sing
Man has no choice
When he wants everything
[Chorus:]
We’ll rise above the scarlet tide
That trickles down through the mountain
And separates the widow from the bride
Man goes beyond his own decision
Gets caught up in the mechanism
Of swindlers who act like kings
And brokers who break everything
The dark of night was swiftly fading
Close to the dawn of the day
Why would I want him just to lose him again
We’ll rise above the scarlet tide
That trickles down through the mountain
And separates the widow from the bride
Meet Me In Montauk 
It’s funny, I didn’t remember this not being sung by Costello in the movie. I guess it just became increasingly familiar to me after the nomination and Oscar performance, and then on this album.
Anyway, this is really such a beautiful song. It’s one of those that you wish were longer, and it plays out in your head even after it ends. Or at least that’s what it does for me:)