04 :: The Hangover This Morning Had a Personality :: A Slow Drag with "Big Light"

Today's Slow Drag is with "The Big Light," from "The King of America," released in 1986. The song is credited to Elvis Costello's birth name.

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Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA

Twitter: @slowdragremedy

Email: [email protected]

Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com

Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag

References:

“The Big Light”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tU_Nhu0Hf8 

Elvis Costello Wiki Reference: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/The_Big_Light 

Huffington Post article about passion projects:  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-you-should-start-a-passion-project_b_9276604 

Google Ngram Viewer: https://books.google.com/ngrams

Johnny Cash version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWB0lF8Gptk

“Alison”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9GlC9GyF4Y 

The definition of a “ditty” https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ditty

“Ironic Repetition” explained: http://www.robertleonardassociates.com/PDF/ForensicLinguistics_Applying-Scientific-Principles.pdf 

The extensive, accurate, up to date, useful Elvis Costello Wiki page: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

EC’s version of “Tonight…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyxVahBPYts

Merle Haggard’s version of “Tonight…”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVq27glkY_A

“The Delivery Man” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fnaa-Rf3RY

“Are the Good Time Really Over” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS7GGpMkRTo

"The Big Light" Lyrics:

Well I had a little feeling to have a big night
And I woke up feeling small and not so brave and not quite right
I had to face the who am I and where is she and what did I do
But worst of all I had to face the big light

Chorus:
The big light came through my window and it opened up my eyelids
And it snapped them up like roller blinds and told me things that I did
I can't face another day and night of good ideas and complications
And I'm thankful that I didn't open another bottle of inspiration

When the hangover this morning had a personality
And I cast my shattered mind over selected memories
I didn't even touch the light switch so I knew I'd never see
The Haggard face that would be staring back at me

(Chorus)

Well I had a little feeling to have a big time
And I woke up to alarm bells like a big church chime
I had to face the who am I and who is she and what did I do
But worst of all I had to face the big light

(Chorus)

Oh when it’s time to go out and have a big night
Sooner or later you’ve got to face the big light