Alison - Elvis Costello (1977) 11/6/21

Today, we go back to 1977 for a "Great Song" that's a...well, let's say "conundrum."

It's a song that never charted...but is ranked at #316 on Rolling Stone Magazine's recently revamped "Top 500 songs of All Time."

It's also been featured in a long list of TV shows, including "That '70s Show," "New Girl," "House," "Roswell," "The West Wing," and "One Tree Hill."

It's a song is about a girl that Elvis Costello either did not pursue...or tried and succeeded...or didn't.

It's a song about disappointing someone...or a song about murder. Or both.

Or maybe it's all of the above. Or none of it.

For decades, Elvis was pretty cagey about the whole thing. Then, in his 2015 autobiography, he wrote this:

"I've always told people that I wrote the song 'Alison' after seeing a beautiful checkout girl at the local supermarket. She had a face for which a ship might have once been named. Scoundrels might once have fought mist-swathed duels to defend her honor. Now she was punching in the prices on cans of beans at a cash register and looking as if all the hopes and dreams of her youth were draining away. All that were left would soon be squandered to a ruffian who told her convenient lies and trapped her still further."

All righty then.

The song was, in fact, released as a single from Elvis' debut album, "My Aim is True," and met with...crickets. But obviously, it became a classic--in time.

The song was recorded before Elvis formed his long-time backing band, The Attractions. Instead, his producer hired a group called The Clovers to play on the album. (TRIVIA: The Clovers later morphed into Huey Lewis and the News!)

Note: The song has been covered by numerous artists--but the only person ever to chart with it was Linda Ronstadt, who took her version to #30 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1979.

"Alison" by Elvis Costello (and the Clovers): A "Great Song of 11977!"

Elvis:

Linda: