“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)

Your Elvis Costello song that wasn’t written by Elvis Costello song of the day is “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” Yes, Elvis had the best-selling version, and it kind of sort of sounds like something he might write, but he didn’t write it. Instead, the song was written by Elvis’ old mate and then-producer, the Basher himself, Nick Lowe.

If you don’t know Nick Lowe, your life is only partly full. Mr. Lowe was a big shot in Britain’s pub rock scene in the mid-to-late1970s. He wrote this tune back in 1974 when he was in the seminal group Brinsley Schwartz; they released it on their album, The New Favourites of… Brinsley Schwartz and as a single, but it didn’t really go anywhere at the time.

That said, it’s a really good song. Here’s what Mr. Lowe, known for his witty (re: smart ass) lyrics, said about its composition:

“I had the incredible foresight not to mess it up with any clever, stupid, clever lines. ‘Just let the slightly clunky title do the work,’ was the idea. The idea was all in the title. I had a good tune for it. And I let the title do the work. And that was amazing—I’m amazed nowadays, looking back, that I did that.”

Even though Brinsley Schwartz broke up in 1975, the song had a life of its own. In 1978 Mr. Lowe was producing Mr. Costello’s third album, Armed Forces, and Elvis decided to record a cover of the tune. It wasn’t originally included on Armed Forces, however; it first saw life as the B-side of a Nick Lowe single, “American Squirm,” credited to “Nick Lowe and His Sound.” When that B-side started attracting a lot of attention, it was quickly appended as the final track on the American version of Armed Forces, properly credited to Mr. Costello and his band, the Attractions. (It was never released as a proper single, however.)

Where the Brinsley Schwartz version of “Peace, Love et al” is a little less aggressive and overtly tongue-in-cheek, Elvis pumped up the energy level and gave it a more ferocious attack. It still wears its sincerity on its sleeve, but now the song mirrors that era’s reckless anger. It became kind of an anthem for that generation.

Nick Lowe went on to produce many other pub rock and punk acts, as well as carve out a solo career of his own. His 1978 album Jesus of Cool (retitled and rejiggered as Pure Pop for Now People in the U.S.) is one of the top albums of that or any decade. He had a handful of hits both on his own and as a member of the band Rockpile, with Dave Edmunds, including “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass” (1978), “Cruel to Be Kind” (1979), and “I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll” (1985). Now older, wiser, and much greyer, but no less witty, Mr. Lowe still performs “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” in concert, even if it’s just him and his guitar.

Elvis Costello, of course, had more hits that you can shake a Fender Jazzmaster at and continues to record and perform today. He’s a genuine musical icon—and he still performs “Peace, Love and Understanding” in concert when he plays live.