Love is a feeling that has confused human beings since the first sidelong Neanderthal glance across the camp fire, and in his song “I Want You”, Elvis Costello captures this confusion very well. These lyrics encapsulate the feelings of a person who is thoroughly confused by love, and who misses his lover only the tiniest bit more than he wants to kill her. As usual with Elvis, the lyrics are also beautifully written, showcasing the man’s talent. They’re also a good deal more direct than the usual Costello lyric, and may have been inspired by the actual circumstances of his life.
As a child, Elvis’ parents had some problems, and this eventually led to the father getting another wife. It seems that this may have been quite tough for young Elvis to take, but then again, it seems like almost every genius has some kind of skeleton in his or her closet. In fact, maybe one can argue that he got most of his skills from his father.
Heredity aside, it can probably be argued that the lyrics to “I Want You” stem directly from Elvis’ real love life. At one point, Elvis Costello left his wife and was dating a model named Bebe Buell, and they were seen in public many times. However, this relationship did not last long as after a short while, Elvis Costello broke off this relationship and reunited with his wife and son. As the lyrics to ‘I Want You’ aptly depict, Elvis Costello could not truly get over his wife, hence the song to immortalize this feeling.
Structurally, “I Want You” is a very interesting song. The title phrase is repeated over and over, yet the supporting lyrics put a different spin on the meaning of the words, so that every time it reappears, the listener approaches it from another angle. With this songwriter’s sleight-of-hand, Elvis Costello turns what could be a dull, droning exercise in repetition into a riveting master class in the creative arts.
With the blazing talent he was born with, success was always imminent for Elvis, but his persistence is what finally turned the tide for him. He was offered a deal by Island Records, but then he turned it down simply because, in his opinion, it was not a great deal. This self-assuredness is one of his most evident and productive traits. Reflecting on the lyrics of his song ‘I Want You’, it is quite evident that Elvis Costello always knew exactly what he wanted, and this is what actually pushed him to achieve great success.
