Songs From The Headlines - Elvis Costello – Ship Building 1982

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Though initially released by Robert Wyatt eight months after the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina over sovereign possession of an obscure Antarctic penguin colony, the song is most associated with its composer, a singer arrogant to name himself after Presley, but also one of the few worthy to dare. Costello’s own recorded version with Chet Baker’s light jazz accompaniment in the song is much better than Wyatt’s (which is good too). The song commemorates how the need for more ships for the British Armada heading for the Falklands revitalized the crumbling ship building industry that was adding thousands of men to the growing unemployment statistics in Prime Minister Dalek Supreme Margaret Thatcher’s early years. The cruel irony highlighted by the song is that the ships would carry other men from the very same impoverished communities off to fight and often die in Thatcher’s vote grabbing tabloid press friendly war. The people benefiting from the ship building were in effect colluding in the war that would claim the lives of many of their own sons. The same government people announcing the good news of ship building generation would be issuing letters of official condolences to the next of kin. The song coming out months after the conflict actually adds to the bitter irony as the ship-building revival had died again, and quickly with the cessation of hostilities. Unlike the militantly angry anti-Thatcherism of songs of Billy Bragg, Costello keeps his anger remarkably understated. Youtube – Elvis Costello – Ship-building Arthur Chappell