Song of the Day #2,067: ‘Talking in the Dark’ – Elvis Costello

armedforcesHere’s an old Elvis Costello B-side, which I know from the album Taking Liberties. It was later released a few other times on various reissues of the Armed Forces album, which was recorded around the same time.

As usual with these Elvis Costello bonus tracks, I will leave the commentary to the man himself, who opined as follows in the Armed Forces liner notes:

The second song edited out of the final sequence was a modest but heartfelt song to a confidante of mine, written in the exhausted hours when lust requires only sympathy. It is called “Talking In The Dark”.

I tried in vain to drive myself insane
I talk to myself but I don’t listen
I found out what I was missing

I miss talking in the dark
Without you, I’m not conversational
Without the sense of the occasional
Without you, I miss talking in the dark
When the barking and the biting is through
We can talk like we’re in love or talk like we’re above it
We can talk and talk until we talk ourselves out of it

I look for the news, somebody to abuse
I look at myself but it’s so chancy
I see things that I don’t fancy

I miss talking in the dark
Without you, I’m not conversational
Without the sense of the occasional
Without you, I miss talking in the dark
Without you, I miss talking in the dark

One thought on “Song of the Day #2,067: ‘Talking in the Dark’ – Elvis Costello

  1. Dana says:

    I know this one more from Taking Liberties. It’s okay, but certainly not a standout for me.

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