Category Archives: song of the day

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Song of the Day #3,774: ‘Love is Free’ – Sheryl Crow

The first three random songs that popped up on iTunes had already been featured on the blog: Aimee Mann’s ‘4th of July,’ Art Garfunkel’s live performance of ‘A Heart in New York,’ and The White Stripes’ ‘I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart.’

When that happens, I like to go back and read the old posts, both to see if my opinions have changed and to enjoy the comment threads. In that batch, frequent commenter Dana took shots at Garfunkel, occasional commenter Amy took shots at Mann, and Jack White emerged unscathed.

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Song of the Day #3,773: ‘He’s Given Me Things’ – Elvis Costello

Closing out Elvis Costello’s Look Now is the third collaboration with Burt Bacharach, ‘He’s Given Me Things.’

Backed by the Imposters and a nine-member string section, Costello once again sings from the perspective of a woman, this time the mistress of a wealthy man giving the kiss-off to her former lover.

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Song of the Day #3,772: ‘Why Won’t Heaven Help Me?’ – Elvis Costello

Look Now feels a bit like a Greatest Hits collection of the many styles Elvis Costello has explored over the decades.

Track 11, ‘Why Won’t Heaven Help Me?,’ could have fit right in on 1993’s pop album Punch the Clock, especially during its delightful chorus. But that delicious ear candy is blended with the stately classicism of Costello’s more recent work.

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Song of the Day #3,771: ‘Suspect My Tears’ – Elvis Costello

‘Suspect My Tears,’ the tenth track on Elvis Costello’s Look Now, is truly a wild ride. Ignore the lyrics and it sounds like a full-blown schmaltzy 70s love song. He wrote this one alone, but it could easily pass for one of his earlier Burt Bacharach collaborations.

Read the lyrics, though, and you’ll realize this is a bitter attack by a man who has grown tired of his lover’s crocodile tears and is threatening to shed some of his own. It’s the nastiest song on the album.

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Song of the Day #3,770: ‘Dishonor the Stars’ – Elvis Costello

‘Dishonor the Stars,’ the ninth track on Elvis Costello’s new album Look Now, is the only love song on an album full of tracks about sorrow and regret.

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that it’s also my least favorite song on the album. Costello isn’t exactly known for his romantic side.

“Least favorite” sounds a little harsh, though every list has to have something at the bottom. It’s more accurate to say this is the song I’ve taken the longest to warm to.

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