This week we’re looking at songs with a woman’s name in the title, so today’s classic song of the day is “Alison” by Elvis Costello. Mr. Costello included the track on his 1977 debut album, My Aim is True and released the song as a single that same year. Unfortunately, it didn’t chart. Fortunately, it still got a lot of airplay as an album cut and became one of the top tunes in Mr. Costello’s ever-growing portfolio.
“Alison,” which was written by Mr. Costello, is about love either squandered or unrequited. Mr. Costello says this is how the song came to be:
“I’ve always told people that I wrote the song ‘Alison’ after seeing a beautiful checkout girl at the local supermarket. She had a face for which a ship might have once been named. Scoundrels might once have fought mist-swathed duels to defend her honour. Now she was punching in the prices on cans of beans at a cash register and looking as if all the hopes and dreams of her youth were draining away. All that were left would soon be squandered to a ruffian who told her convenient lies and trapped her still further.”
The lyrics are appropriately bitter:
Well I see you’ve got a husband now
Did he leave your pretty fingers lying
In the wedding cake? You used to hold him
Right in your hand, I bet he took all he could take
Sometimes I wish that I could stop you from talking
When I hear the silly things that you say
I think somebody better put out the big light
‘Cause I can’t stand to see you this way
Alison, I know this world is killing you
Oh, Alison, my aim is true, my aim is true
Elvis used that “my aim is true” line as the title for his debut album, which also included such classics as “Welcome to the Working Week,” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” “Less Than Zero,” and “Watching the Detectives.” The album was produced by Mr. Costello’s compatriot, the Basher himself, Mr. Nick Lowe, the guy who wrote Elvis’ later hit, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” It’s all connected.
In 1978, songstress Linda Ronstadt cut a cover of “Alison” for her Living in the USA album. Released as a single in the spring of 1979, her version of “Alison” also failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but hit #30 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. Her version was softer and gentler than the original, without all the barely repressed anger and resentment. That helped bring out the song’s melodic strengths.
While I thought Elvis’ original was best, I still liked Linda’s version, even if Elvis himself didn’t. Well, at least he didn’t initially; Mr. Costello later commented “I didn’t mind spending the money that she earned me.” At least he’s honest.
