No More Medicine

He takes the rose. 

Yes, it’s poisoned. It’s anguish. But he takes it just the same. 

As we saw just a few days ago with “Riot Act,” Elvis Costello has a gift for songs of romantic supplication. “Poisoned Rose” finds the singer in full surrender mode, seemingly powerless in the presence of his lover. There’s something compelling about love stories that seem inevitable, or attractions that cannot be denied. At the same time, methinks the singer doth protest too much: 

Hard to believe he doesn’t know how this all went down; did he miss health week in sixth grade? And if doing “the decent thing” is so flimsy a little booze can trip it up, then it’s likely the singer isn’t that interested in the decent thing to begin with. 

(“Somebody spikes the drink” is such an interesting choice, too, because it’s another layer of distance between the singer and his actions–or, maybe more likely, an admission that whoever the singer becomes once the deed is done, he’s so far from who he was before this affair that it may as well have been a stranger who embarked down this path.) 

Maybe it’s the acoustic accompaniment but these characters feel as though they’ve stepped off the stage from a particularly scandalous moment in a Cole Porter song. There’s something plucky and naughty about whatever’s happening, but it’s not particularly dark. As submissive as the singer is, he’s not hurt by giving in, nor does he seem too concerned about anyone he may be hurting. In other words, if the singer’s running around on someone (and it sure seems like he is), he’s a little gleeful beneath the surface-level handkerchief-wringing. 

The Rhino Records reissue of 1986’s King of America features a demo of “Poisoned Rose” that is solely EC on guitar and vocals. Hearing it, you believe the song needs nothing else, and yet it gets a murderers’ row of talent, selflessly serving the song. There’s a moment after the bridge where it’s almost impossible to believe none of these masters get to solo–and yet, EC takes it right back to the verse, leaving the band to push instead at the edges of the melody. They smoke behind Elvis’ lead vocal and let stray wisps of desire slip out between his lines, like water just starting to boil. 

Covers Walk

Nick Lowe performed “Poisoned Rose” at a special “Costello Sings Lowe / Nick Sings Elvis” concert in San Francisco in 2010. Here’s a nice audience recording.

Not quite a cover, but EC performed “Poisoned Rose” with Allen Toussaint live, featuring a new arrangement by the brilliant New Orleans songwriter, piano player, singer and producer. It’s incredible.