Margaret Thatcher dies

[Little Fool]

Well folks, the time has come lets see if he puts his boots on and does the necessary.

[verbal gymnastics]

I wonder if the song will now be out to bed.

[Ulster Boy]

A song very much of its time, that Costello himself deliberately didn't perform in concert for many years. I was at the Royal Albert Hall gig in April 1999 when he got a lengthy heckle for NOT doing it; and I recall an interview around that time with Johnny Vaughan (who despite being a self-professed "fan" re-titled it "Tramp down the dirt") in which EC was distinctly uncormfortable about it. Not sure why it got resurrected last year, it had little relevance or resonance for much of the audience I suspect.

[Top balcony]

Certainly got a rousing reception in Liverpool, and quite right too.

Suggest that the axe being aimed at the welfare budget was the reason for it's re-appearance.

Colin Top Balcony

[Ulster Boy]

Whether its "quite right too" is a matter of opinion - which of course, you're entitled to. I never particularly shared all of the song's original political intentions, but the passion behind it - and many of his other "political" songs - is undeniable and I find that appealing, without having to agree with the sentiments.

[Jack of All Parades]

Thatcher graph.jpg (51.19 KiB) Viewed 12746 times

Yes she certainly did change the country but I would not be proud of the results- see the graphic evidence and really pay attention to all of them:

http://www.poverty.org.uk/09/index.shtml#g6

And there is this tribute by Richard Thompson from a few years back and again thank you to PD reminding me of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWjm6XdtEb0

[Jack of All Parades]

A reasonably balanced assessment from The Guardian of her legacy:

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format ... 5178851114

[Azmuda]

Seems she was voted "Creep Of The Year" in the NME Readers' Poll every year she was eligible -- 1980 through 1989.

___

In 1990 readers chose her resignation as "Event Of The Year."

[johnfoyle]

Elvis Costello & B P Fallon, Slane, 1985


Elvis first played 'Tramp on Irish radio in May 1987 -

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _Orchestra

Here's a sound file -

http://www.mediafire.com/?ficu9utd0vdmvid


A earlier version of 'Tramp was, of course, Betrayal

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Betrayal
http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... f_Betrayal
http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... -09_London

[Top balcony]

On the day the UK government introduced the benefits cap, I can't stop the

"they're moving problem families from the south up to the north"

line from Little Palaces from running round my head.

She lives on...

Colin Top Balcony

[verbal gymnastics]

On the day the UK government introduced the benefits cap, I can't stop the

"they're moving problem families from the south up to the north"

line from Little Palaces from running round my head.

She lives on...

Colin Top Balcony

Well we don't want them down in the beautiful south!

But there's no doubt she would have supported this change.

[countdownkid]

My two cents: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/endeavo ... s?ncid=GEP