3:10
When I Was Cruel, 2002
Written by Elvis Costello
Although I consider the first half of Elvis Costello's musical output to rival that of any singer-songwriter, easily the equal of Paul Simon, Tom Waits, or Leonard Cohen at his peak, I have been sadly remiss in giving his oeuvre my serious attention since, oh, about Spike. Featuring two of the Attractions, this song is a plea to someone addressed as "my lovely hooligan" to help the narrator see the world in a more positive light. "Well, I was a gloomy soul, never thought I see a brighter day / The dark interior blows those silver clouds away." If it isn't exactly a return to the jittery ferocity of his New Wave, Angry Young Man earliest material (and why would it be?), Costello sounds as energetic and inspired as he did on the sublime King of America, and that's a great thing.
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