The Same Old Step From The Same Old Shoe

It’s interesting that this song should come up today, as just this weekend, Elvis Costello announced the upcoming release of The Resurrection of Rust, a new EP recorded with EC’s first band Rusty. Actually, it’s more of a combo than a band—session musician Allan Mayes was the other half of Rusty in 1972, and they gigged throughout that year before going their separate ways. 

According to EC, “Just Like A Jukebox” was inspired by his experience playing those clubs and bars. It dates from 1975 and made its modern debut in 2007, when EC played tribute shows for his debut album, My Aim Is True, with members of Clover, who backed him on the record before he founded the Attractions. (Parts of Clover later became Huey Lewis and the News.) The song has never made it to record; he’s only ever played “Just Like A Jukebox” live, and only 3 times at that. 

Keen-eared listeners will recognize a few lines that later made their way into “From a Whisper to a Scream,” EC’s duet with Squeeze’s Chris Difford on 1981’s Trust. 

Musically, it’s reminiscent of a few of the pre-My Aim Is True tracks featured on the Ryko and Rhino reissues of that album, such as “Cheap Reward.” You can hear the influence of pub rock and country rock on these songs; melodically, they’re pleasant, meandering shuffles.

Lyrically, it’s a clear-eyed, mildly sarcastic exploration of what we seek from live music, and what our live musicians need from us. The tipsy, brokenhearted patrons just want songs they know, and songs they can dance to; the players on the stage just want to be heard, and sometimes just escape with their lives.