From One Little Hitler To Another

Elvis Costello was in the news the other day.

Yeah, Elvis Costello, whose broken-hearted love song, "Alison", brought him into the London punk limelight and brought us its key phrase, "My Aim Is True" ...

Elvis Costello, whose "Armed Forces" remains one of the most powerful anti-military sets ever recorded ...

that Elvis Costello...

... that Elvis Costello showed woeful ignorance of American politics (or something much more sinister -- I shudder to think!) when he performed at Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday party last weekend.

It nearly broke my cold heart.

Elvis

sang "Happy Birthday Mrs. President" and [...] raucous versions of hit songs including "Pump it Up,"

according to Reuters.

And even if it breaks my heart again to say it, I have something to say to Elvis Costello.

Pump It Down!, Elvis.

Your aim was false that time!

His aim was a lot better when he was writing "Armed Forces", so let's hope it was only a momentary lapse.

This one's called...

Two Little Hitlers

Why are we racing to be so old?
I'm up late pacing the floor, I won't be told
you have your reservations, I'm bought and sold
I'll face the music, I'll face the facts,
even when we walk in polka dots and checkered slacks,
bowing and squawking, running after tidbits,
bobbing and squinting, just like a nitwit,
two little hitlers will fight it out until
one little hitler does the other one's will
I will return, I will not burn
down in the basement

I need my head examined; I need my eyes excited
I'd like to join the party but I was not invited
you make a member of me, I'll be delighted
I wouldn't cry for lost souls; you might drown
dirty words for dirty minds, written in a toilet town
dial me a Valentine, she's a smooth operator
It's all so calculated, she's got a calculator
she's my soft-touch typewriter and I'm the great dictator
two little hitlers will fight it out until
one little hitler does the other one's will
I will return, I will not burn

a simple game of self-respect
you flick a switch and the world goes off
nobody jumps as you expect
I would have thought you would have had enough by now
you call selective dating for some effective mating
I thought I'd let you down, dear, but you were just deflating
I knew right from the start: we'd end up hating
pictures of the merchandise plastered on the wall
we can look so long as we don't have to talk at all
you say you'll never know him; he's not a natural man
he doesn't want your pleasure; he wants as no one can
he wants to know the names of all those he's better than
two little hitlers will fight it out until
one little hitler does the other one's will
I will return, I will not burn
I will return, I will not burn

You can listen to "Two Little Hitlers" here -- and if you ignore the first few seconds and don't look at the artwork, it's not too bad. (BTW this track features some awesome fretless bass from Bruce Thomas -- just about perfect, IMO.)

Even though my heart is broken, I shouldn't be too critical of Elvis.

Billy Crystal performed at Hillary's birthday party, too.

And he's American.

He should know better.