Rock In My World

Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army

I can't believe it's been 30 years since this was released.

You know, it still sounds fresh to these old ears. The song was never a hit in the US, but I was a huge fan of the album it appears on, Armed Forces. I still consider it one of the peaks of Costello's long, varied career.

According to Songfacts.com: Costello told Q Magazine in March 2008: "I don't think its success was because of the lyrics. I always liked the idea of a bright pop tune that you could be singing along to for ages before you realize what it is you're actually singing. Of course, the downside of that is some people only hear the tune and never listen to the words. After a while I got frustrated at that." The song's line, "Call careers information/have you got yourself an occupation" refers to the habit of the British army recruiting boys right out of school at age 16. Many of these kids were from poor families, at a time when unemployment was high in Britain.