Elvis Costello - King Horse - What does it mean?

We were having a discussion in the office about Elvis Costello and some of his lyrics. No one was quite sure what he was referring to in this lyric:

"Now I know that you're all King Horse."

- King Horse from Get Happy!

We Googled and Asked and Yahooed, no luck.

Anyone know what this lyric is about or what it's referring to?


Thanks!

 

"King Horse" stumps most of Costello's interpreters.

Brian Hinton (in Let Them All Talk) claims that he's always suspected the song had something to do with heroin (hense "Horse" in the title), but can't support that with the actual lyrics.

And, in David Sheppard's book (Elvis Costello) in the "Kill Your Idols" series, he provides brief discussions of 19 of Get Happy's 20 original tracks. Guess which one he omits?

So, in the end, who knows, but what a great track!

 

At least we're not the only ones wondering

Thanks!

 

Get Happy remains (by a long way) my favorite Costello album. I always guessed there was some obscure heroin reference involved but who knows?

BTW - does anyone else think John Lennon could have done an amazing version of New Amsterdam?

Bobby Sutliff

 

I knew a cartoonist/editor years ago who believed that he inspired parts of the song -- the references to "strip cartoon" and "comic books" and the fact that he knew Bebe Buell well and that EC disliked him give a little weight to the possibility. That aside, I've always felt this was one of the more obtuse songs, but, can offer just a few ideas:

1. An allusion to the Humpty Dumpty rhyme, "All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again", suggesting someone being ineffectual or impotent. The character is stuck between tenderness and brute force and crippled by this?

2. Keeping with the comic book themes, there may be a suggestion of immaturity, clowning around, horsing around. In the context of the cartoonist I knew, it might make sense... he was a prankster and a jerk.

3. Horse = Heroin

I've always wondered about this song as well. Perhaps, I'll ask EC next time I see him.

 

Elvis C. was at a stage, during the writing of this song, not unlike Dylan's '65-'66 stage. He had so much material coming out at once, I doubt he himself knew exactly what all of it really meant. It rhymed, it sounded really good, and it probably did mean something. But I doubt it was well thought out.
In my opinion, "Get Happy!!" is one of Elvis' three perfect albums (along with Armed Forces and Imperial Bedroom).

 

What does Costello say about this song on the liner notes of the "Girls Girls Girls" collection? I seem to recall he had a comment about what it means there.

 

"The armed forces are the only other line of work that encourages such unsuitable people to travel the world. Chaos reigns at 35,000 feet, over the Pacific. In my notebook I'd stumbled on some lyrics about tawdry compromise and desperate fun, mostly the work of a very naive nineteen-year-old. Now I'm looking to hang it all on the best insult to the strutting male that I can find. The cult of the stallion with the medallion is in full flower. I look at all the silly schoolboys making the stewardess' life a misery. I look at myself in the toilet mirror... "King Horse".

The notebook suggests that the origins of the song long precede the guy I mentioned. But, who knows? The timing would've been right with the Bebe Buell connection (late 70s.)

 

As ever, what service on this forum!

 

Indeed! Perhaps we should do this with every Costello lyric

 

How many years would it take to devote ourselves to that task? If the man continues to release three or so new albums each year, we'd never catch up.

 

The use of "horses" as imagery for men who consider themselves studs is hardly unique. Consider Prince's song "Little Red Corvette"! Plus (and the Bebe Buell business is a good point) some of Costello's most scathing put-down are directed at himself.

It's also a classical allusion. The legend of Theseus.

I think that the title might also have a ruder meaning - based on what the title sounds like.

 

"He tells Theseus about moira, "the finished shape of our fate." Just as it was the King Horse's moira to be sacrificed, so it is the king's moira to sacrifice himself for the people when the god tells him to."

Should we ring Moira for our prize?

 

The prize I believe was a badge that said "Made In 1955 For 1984" (one of the advertising slogans of This Years Model). Of course, Costello was actually born in 1954

I heard of someone calling the number (434 3232) a couple of years later and they apparently were sent some posters.

 

Can't comment on the whole song but I don't think it really means anything much, he's having fun with the line. its Elvis playing with words and sounds, he loves a good pun....

"you're all king horse" = rocking horse.......when sung fast

 

I rang the number on the UK version when released & got some badges & photos.
Gary

 

If I recall correctly, someone I know called, got the button, maybe a photo (probably the alternate cover shot with the printed inscription), and a spinner of some kind (wish he'd have shown that to me!) But, he told me about this around 1980 or 1981 when I was working with a co-worker of his on the Krista Reese book, so, I could be misremembering. Man, I feel old.

 

Ah, the Krista Reese book. That's a topic all in itself! Not meaning to threadcrap ... but that's an interesting nugget Jeff.