Elvis Costello was part of the British New Wave scene that came out of the Punk of 1976/77.
The Stiff label was a leading Independent and Elvis was one of its leading lights – along with the likes of Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric and Madness.
This song was quite a strange one for those heady days. These were days of anger and fury where the youth of the day felt they had been thrown on the scrapheap. Malcolm McClaren had manufactured a new look and attitude based on the New York Dolls and the New York scene. It put a big wedge between the youth culture of the 60s and the Punk scene of the seventies. Peace and love were definitely not in vogue.
Elvis was always a meaningful wordsmith but this is one of Nick Lowe’s masterpieces. The lyrics are still just as pertinent today as we look at the rise of the Nazis, a looming war with Korea, the evil of ISIS, Boko Haram, A Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups, the Middle East Palestinian crisis, Trump and Brexit.
What is so wrong with peace, love and understanding?
Elvis Costello – Peace, Love And Understanding Lyrics
This wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
There’s one thing I wanna know:
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
’cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
’cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry.
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?
Such beautiful words!
Yes. Nick Lowe did a good job and Elvis interprets it well.
You’re right, Opher, still very relevant today.
Cheers John.