“The first song that most people picked up on, particularly in America, of mine, was a ballad, not a rock'n'roll song.”

— Elvis Costello

dig interview (2004)
Context: The first song that most people picked up on, particularly in America, of mine, was a ballad, not a rock'n'roll song. It was 'Alison', and that's an R&B ballad. I don't think there's any other way to describe it.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The first song that most people picked up on, particularly in America, of mine, was a ballad, not a rock'n'roll song." by Elvis Costello?

Elvis Costello 47

English singer-songwriter 1954

Related quotes

“The first thing I did when I picked up any instrument, when I was five years old, was write a song.”

St. Vincent (musician) (1982) American singer-songwriter

QRO Magazine interview (2007)
Context: The first thing I did when I picked up any instrument, when I was five years old, was write a song. It's kind of funny; I thought about it, statements that it's a "solo effort" — it's kind of like, "Oh, well I've been doing this since I was five." I was kind of doing this before I did anything else.

“Here comes the sunshine
Here comes that son of mine
Here comes the everything
Here's a song and a song for him.”

Kate Bush (1958) British recording artist; singer, songwriter, musician and record producer

Song lyrics, Aerial (2005), A Sea of Honey (Disc 1)

“I'm possessed by love — but isn't everybody? Most of my songs are love ballads and things to do with sadness and torture and pain.
In terms of love, you're not in control and I hate that feeling. I seem to write a lot of sad songs because I'm a very tragic person. But there's always an element of humour at the end.”

Freddie Mercury (1946–1991) British singer, songwriter and record producer

As quoted in "I am the Champion" by Nick Ferrari in The Sun (19 July 1985) http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Freddie_Mercury_-_07-19-1985_-_The_Sun.

“I write the songs first and in most cases teach myself the technique second.”

Joe Satriani (1956) American guitar player

As quoted in BAM Magazine (6 April 1990).

“When you say of the making of ballads and songs that it is woman's work
You forget all the fighting poets that have been in every land.”

Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) American poet, editor, literary critic, soldier

Main Street and Other Poems (1917), The Proud Poet

“His mother taught him to sing. And when he had grown up and had listened to the world's song, he felt that there could be no greater happiness than to return to her song. In her song dwelt the most precious and most incomprehensible dreams of mankind.”

Halldór Laxness (1902–1998) Icelandic author

Sjálfstætt fólk (Independent People) (1935), Book One, Part II: Free of Debt
Context: His mother taught him to sing. And when he had grown up and had listened to the world's song, he felt that there could be no greater happiness than to return to her song. In her song dwelt the most precious and most incomprehensible dreams of mankind. The heath grew into the heavens in those days. The songbirds of the air listened in wonder to this song, the most beautiful song of life.

“For the first time I understood the haunting beauty of the song. It was the song of a killer who longed to die. It was the song of justice yearned for but not yet done.”

Orson Scott Card (1951) American science fiction novelist

Treason (1988)

“I love the idea of waking up to a song. It could be any song.”

Shreya Ghoshal (1984) Indian playback singer

Ghoshal discussing about her schedule http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-livewire/article3845968.ece - Archived http://web.archive.org/web/20170310200829/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-livewire/article3845968.ece

“I'm the most sampled and stolen. What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine, too … I got a song about that … But I'm never gonna release it. Don't want a war with the rappers. If it wasn't good, they wouldn't steal it.”

James Brown (1933–2006) American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist

"Being James Brown," Rolling Stone Magazine, 2006-06-12.

“If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can always seem to get people to sing with me.”

Pete Seeger (1919–2014) American folk singer

"A Minstrel with a Mission", Life magazine, 1964.

“The first song that most people picked up on, particularly in America, of mine, was a ballad, not a rock'n'roll song.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Elvis Costello 47

Related quotes

Related topics