Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

In my day, never was longer.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

“That’s what the insurrection act is for!”

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

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23Comments

  1. 1.

    geg6

    Oh gawd, mm. I’m gonna be singing Elvis all day now. In my head, just to spare those around me. ;-)

    The only worse choice (for those who must listen to my singing) would be if you had two threads with the Clash going. I’d be in ecstasies.

  8. 8.

    Lex

    Best first lines of best first song of best debut album EVAR.

    (Pretenders’ “Precious” is second-best first song of debut album ever.)

    And I know I’m dating myself when I say this, but I, too, watched that “SNL” performance. Rocked my world harder than anything since CCR’s “Fortunate Son.”

    Let the arguing commence. ;-)

  9. 9.

    Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E)

    I dunno, I have a lot of respect for Elvis Costello–bioth as a perfomer and a person, but calling this a “song” is sort of stretching it. It’s pretty much poetry with unconnected chords and no real rhythymic flow going on at the same time.

    I fully understand that I am in the minority, but I think I’d have preferred this as a spoken word thing.

  10. 10.

    Mnemosyne

    This is the ringtone on my phone and has been for a year or so. (Unless G calls me, in which case it’s “Wonderboy.”) But, then, I love me some Costello. I noticed the “King of America” reference the other day but the thread was too long to point it out by the time I was online.

  11. 11.

    Mnemosyne

    @Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E):

    It’s kind of funny that you say that, because when Dave Edmunds did a cover of Costello’s “Girls Talk,” he added in an extra repeat of the chorus. So clearly you’re not the only one thinking, “Dude, too short!” about Costello’s early songs.

    ETA: Sorry, listening again I think Edmunds added a repeat of the first verse, not a repeat of the chorus. But I have no musical talent whatsoever, so I get these things confused.

  13. 13.

    burnspbesq

    I’d say that Mr. McManus mostly passed his sell-by date around 1985. Except for a couple of interesting curiosities (the album with Anne-Sofie von Otter, and the album of Burt Bacharach songs), the fire’s been out.

    His principal function now is to keep his lovely and uber-talented bride happy. She’s still making good records.

  15. 15.

    (another) Josh

    Hey, let’s play “When did [Elvis Costello/Lou Reed/John Lennon/Samuel Delany] start going downhill!” Or not.

  16. 16.

    burnspbesq

    @Mnemosyne:

    Feeling trollish today, are we?

    Only on days that end in y, and only in response to abject stupidity or foolish deification. Look, the guy’s a perfectly adequate pop singer-songwriter, but let’s not treat him like he was Bach or Coltrane.

  17. 17.

    piratedan

    @Mnemosyne: and EC supposedly loathed Dave interpretation of his song as he sped it up, much like EC did to Lowe’s What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding?. I listen to all three artists and don’t worry about it while I enjoy the music.

    @burnspbesq: for that timeframe of 77 to 85 he was prolific and his sound and attitude helped define a generation and fronted a movement in popular music. For my generation, he was our Bach or our Coltrane.

  18. 18.

    Mnemosyne

    @piratedan:

    I can believe it — no one ever said Costello isn’t a prickly asshole, especially back when he was still drinking heavily. Though he can’t have hated it that much since he, Edmunds and Lowe kept working together throughout the 1980s.

    I have an old interview with him from the mid-90s where he jokes about the “curse of Costello” and claims that everyone who’s done a cover of one of his songs has had their career ruined.

  20. 20.

    Monte Davis

    Costello had to outgrow Lowe, but damn if the first four albums didn’t show everything power pop ought to be, with memorable lyrics as sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet frosting

  21. 21.

    Nellcote

    Oh please let this be Elvis Costello theme week!

    And I love “Juliet Letters” w/Brodsky String Quartet.

  23. 23.

    Ordovician Bighorn Dolomite (formerly rarely seen poster Fe E)

    @NobodySpecial:

    Okay, okay, I’ll come clean: I don’t really have a problem with calling this a “song” becasue of it’s structure, I just really, really hate it.

    I was just trying to thread a needle where I could throw a little water on the adulation without just pointlessly pissing people off. I knowm, I know, that’s not what the internet is for, but it is kind of my style.

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