Almost Blue es un álbum de Elvis Costello, publicado en 1981. El disco incluye 39 canciones, entre ellas «Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To)?», «Sweet Dreams», «Success» y «I'm Your Toy».
Sobre el álbum
Con Almost Blue, de 1981, Elvis Costello entrega el que es, posiblemente, su álbum más sorprendente y arriesgado hasta la fecha. En este trabajo el artista británico se sumerge por completo en la música country, grabando en Nashville una colección de versiones de clásicos del género. Es un sincero homenaje a una de sus grandes pasiones musicales.
El sonido del álbum es de un country clásico y sin artificios. La producción, a cargo del legendario Billy Sherrill, es exquisita y recrea a la perfección el sonido de Nashville. Elvis Costello & The Attractions demuestran una increíble capacidad para adaptarse a un lenguaje musical que, en principio, parecía muy alejado del suyo.
El repertorio es una cuidada selección de canciones de leyendas del country como George Jones, Merle Haggard o Gram Parsons. La interpretación de Elvis Costello es de una honestidad y una emoción que desarman, demostrando un profundo respeto y conocimiento del género.
Pese a que el disco desconcertó a una parte de sus seguidores, con el tiempo ha sido reivindicado como una obra valiente y de una gran belleza. 'Almost Blue' es un testimonio de la inagotable curiosidad de un artista que nunca ha tenido miedo de romper las expectativas.
Listado de Canciones
Disco 1
- Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To)?
- Sweet Dreams2:59
Letra
Sweet dreams of you, every night I go through I should hate you girl the whole night through Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you You don't love me it's plain I should have known you'd never share my name Why can't I forget you girl, start loving someone new? Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you Why can't I forget my past, start loving someone new? Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you Sweet dreams of you, every night I go through I should hate you girl the whole night through Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you - Success2:41
Letra
We used to go out walkin' hand in hand You told me all the big things you had planned It wasn't long till all your dreams came true Success put me in second place with you You have no time to love me anymore Since fame & fortune knocked upon our door I spend all my evenings all alone Success has made a failure of our home If we could spend an evening now & then Perhaps we'd find true happiness again You never hold me like you used to do It's funny what success has done for you You have no time to love me anymore Since fame & fortune knocked upon our door I spend all my evenings all alone Success has made a failure of our home - I'm Your Toy3:23
- Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down2:09
Letra
Tonight the bottle let me down It let your memory come around The one true friend I thought I'd found Tonight the bottle let me down I've always had a bottle I could turn to And lately I've been turnin' every day But the wine don't take effect the way it used to And I'm hurtin' in old familiar ways Tonight the bottle let me down It let your memory come around The one true friend I thought I'd found Tonight the bottle let me down Each night I leave the bar room when it's over Not feeling any pain at closing time But tonight your memory found me much too sober I can't drink enough to keep you off my mind Tonight the bottle let me down It let your memory come around The one true friend I thought I'd found Tonight the bottle let me down - Brown To Blue2:41
Letra
We stood there in the courthouse room so close but far apart You brought along the lawyer and I brought a broken heart The judge pronounced the words the way you wanted him to do You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue I couldn't help my tears from falling on the courtroom floor My love, they took away my right to love you anymore My world just seemed to stop as I stood there so close to you You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue The judge forgot to tell me how I'd live my life alone What I would do without you after loving you so long He didn't seem to care that I'm still in love with you You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue I couldn't help my tears from falling on the courtroom floor My love, they took away my right to love you anymore My world just seemed to stop as I stood there so close to you You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine from Brown to Blue - Good Year For The Roses3:08
Letra
I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick on the cigarettes there in the ashtray Lyin' cold the way you left 'em, but at least your lips caressed them while You packed Or the lip-print on a half-filled cup of coffee that you poured and didn't drink But at least you thought you wanted it, that's so much more than I can say For me What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowin' Funny I don't even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It's been a good year for the roses After three full years of marriage, it's the first time that you haven't made the bed I guess the reason we're not talkin', there's so little left to say we haven't said While a million thoughts go racin' through my mind, I find I haven't said a word From the bedroom the familiar sound of a baby's cryin' goes unheard What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowin' Funny I don't even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It's been a good year for the roses - Sittin' And Thinkin'3:03
- Colour Of The Blues2:21
Letra
Up above me are the skies Like the twinkle in your eyes Blue must be the colour of the blues In the mail, the letters came But you can't pay for love the same Blue must be the colour of the blues The bluebird singin' in the trees Seems to sympathize with me 'cause he's not singin' like he used to do Pretty waters in the sea Feel as cold as you left me Blue must be the colour of the blues Blue days come and blue days go The way i feel, nobody knows Life is finally empty without you There's a blue note in each song That i sing since you've been gone Blue must be the colour of the blues - Too Far Gone3:27
Letra
I can tell somewhere there's someone you love more than me Someone you love more than me And it hurts to say it that you have a right to be free I know that's the way it should be Oh but I'm too far gone Too far gone I know I've loved you too much for too long And I'm too far gone If ever your new love should hurt you or make you feel blue Hurt you or make you feel blue Just remember your old love will still be around loving you I'll be around loving you Oh 'cause I'm too far gone Too far gone I know I've loved you too much for too long And I'm too far gone - Honey Hush2:15
Letra
Come into this house and stop that yakity yak 'Cause your sugar-daddy don't want no talkin' back You keep on babblin', talkin' 'bout this and that I got news for ya baby, you ain't nothin' but an alley cat Turn off the waterworks baby, they don't move me no more I'm leavin' this town, ain't comin' back no more Honey hush Come into this house and stop that yakity yak You're makin' me nervous and I'm holdin' a baseball bat Hi-ho, hi-ho silver Hi-ho, hi-ho silver away - How Much I Lied
Letra
Darling, there is one thing I must tell you, you must know It's so hard to say the words I feel This fancy that I'm on's been going on too long It's time to stop pretending things are real 'Cause I've been living deep in sin, I've been living blind And I just don't know what's right or wrong To take a chance on losing you is such a silly thing to do A chance I might wake up and find you gone Blue, so blue, my love is burning blue Any private flame could be a lie Blue, so blue, my love still burns for you But I know I'll only make you cry A thief can only steal from you He cannot break your heart He can never touch the precious things inside Someone like you should surely be Miles and miles away from me Then you'd never care how much I lied So try to understand the pain It takes so long when I explain Please don't you forget how much I lied How much I lied
Disco 2
- Stranger In The House
Letra
This never was one of the great romances But I thought you'd always have those young girl's eyes But now they look in tired and bitter glances At the ghost of a man who walks 'round in my disguise I get the feeling that I don't belong here But there's no welcome in the window anyway And I look down for a number on my keychain 'Cause it feels more like a hotel everyday There's a stranger in the house; nobody's seen his face But everybody says he's taken my place There's a stranger in the house no one will ever see But everybody says he looks like me And now you say you've got no expectations But I know you also miss those carefree days And for all the angry words that passed between us You still don't understand me when I say There's a stranger in the house; nobody's seen his face But everybody says he's taken my place There's a stranger in the house no one will ever see But everybody says he looks like me - We Oughta Be Ashamed
- Radio Sweetheart (En vivo)
- Stranger In The House (En vivo)
- Psycho (En vivo)
- If I Could Put Them All Together (I'd Have You)
- Motel Matches (En vivo)
- He'll Have To Go (En vivo)
- Girls Talk (En vivo)
- Too Far Gone ('Lost Session' Version)
- He's Got You ('Lost Session' Version)
- Honky Tonk Girl
- That's Why I'm Walking
- Wondering
- Darling, You Know I Wouldn't Lie
- My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You
Letra
I might say that I don't care Hold my head up in the air Even tell my friends I'm glad that you don't call But when the day is through That's when my heartaches start anew And that's when I miss you most of all And my arms keep reaching for you And my eyes keep searching for you And my lips keep calling for you And my shoes keep walking back to you No matter how much I pretend I wish I had you back again 'Cause nothin' means half as much as you My world just seemed to die The day you said goodbye And I can't forget no matter what I do And my arms keep reaching for you And my eyes keep searching for you And my lips keep calling for you And my shoes keep walking back to you - Blues Keep Calling
- Tears Before Bedtime
Letra
I know the name on the tip of your tongue And I know that accusing look Everybody knows I've been so wrong That's the problem and here's the hook Tears before bedtime There'll be trouble tonight I don't want to talk about it anymore I don't want to have another fight I don't want to talk I don't want to fight How wrong can I be before I am right For the tears that you boo hoo hoo hoo There can be no defence You say you'll forgive and forget But it's only a pretence Either you can leave the past behind Or give me something to disconnect my mind I sleep with my fists clenched tight When I don't lie awake all night I guess time gave up the ghost too late And the balance of our love Very soon turns to hate Darling your suspiciousness Tortures me at night But I can't excuse the cruel words That I use whenever we fight Chorus - Psycho
Letra
Can Mary fry some fish, mama I'm as hungry as can be Oh lord, how I wish, mama You could stop the baby cryin' 'Cause my head is killing me I saw my ex again last night mama She was at the dance at Miller's store She was with that Jackie White mama I killed them both And they're buried under Jacob's sycamore You think I'm psycho don't you mama I didn't mean to break your cup You think I'm psycho don't you mama You better let 'em lock me up Oh, don't hand me Johnny's pup mama As I might squeeze him too tight I'm havin' crazy dreams again mama So let me tell you 'bout last night I woke up in Johnny's room mama Standing right there by his bed With my hands around his throat mama Wishing both of us were dead You think I'm psycho don't you mama I just killed Johnny's pup You think I'm psycho don't you mama You'd better let 'em lock me up Oh you recall that little girl mama I believe her name was Betty Clark Oh don't tell me that she's dead mama 'Cause I just saw her in the park We were sitting on a bench mama Thinking of a game to play Seems I was holding a wrench mama Then my mind just walked away You think I'm psycho don't you mama I didn't mean to break your cup You think I'm psycho don't you mama Mama why don't you get up? - Cry, Cry, Cry
Letra
Everybody knows where you go when the sun goes down They say you only live to see the lights of town I wasted my time when I would try, try, try 'Cause when the lights have lost their glow, you'll cry, cry, cry Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone And you'll wake up some cold day and find you're alone You'll come to me but I'm gonna tell you bye, bye, bye When I turn around and walk away, you'll cry, cry, cry You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll cry alone When everyone's forgotten and you're on your own You're gonna cry, cry, cry I lie awake at night and wait till you come in You stay a little while and then you're gone again Every question that I ask, I get a lie, lie, lie For every lie you tell, you're gonna cry, cry, cry When your fickle little love gets old, no one will care for you You'll come back to me for a little love that's true I'll tell you no and you're gonna ask me why, why, why When I remind you of all of this, you'll cry, cry, cry You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll want me there It'll hurt when you think of the fool you've been You're gonna cry, cry, cry - I'll Take Care Of You
- Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven
Letra
You tell me you married an angel She's made heaven out of your home You say there couldn't be rainbows in heaven 'Cause she's brought you happiness that you've never known You may hate me for what I've to tell you But you'll thank me for setting you right While you work to keep angels in heaven Your angel steps out of heaven each night Her heaven's not the same as you're living in It's any place where there's music and a free drink from him So call her your angel, I won't say you're not right But your angel steps out of heaven each night - Brand New Heartache (En vivo)
- There Won't Be Anymore (En vivo)
- Sittin' And Thinkin' (En vivo)
- Honey Hush (En vivo)
- I'm Your Toy (En vivo)