Ten Favorite Rock Who-What-Why Questions: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (#6)

Tweet

It's time for another one of those countless questions that show up in the title of songs. Today's song is a classic, and it's also a pretty pertinent question in today's troubling times. #7: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding - Elvis Costello Written and originally recorded by Nick Lowe in 1974, this song became a new wave classic when it was released as a single by Elvis Costello in 1979. It's one of his standards (when I saw him do a solo acoustic show a few years ago he did it). It's one of Nick's, too (I saw him with Los Straitjackets in Nashville, and this was his first encore, giving the audience an opportunity to sing along). And, according to Picky Wedia, it's been covered a lot. I have seen the clip of Bill Murray singing it in Lost in Translation, but I didn't know it was in The Bodyguard. The list of cover artists include Midnight Oil, the Flaming Lips, Steve Earle...and a Christian pop version??? It's one of my favorites from the punk/new wave era, and I'm so happy I got to see it performed live by the author and the man who brought it to my attention. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding Written by Nick Lowe Recorded by Elvis Costello Released as a single, 1978 (Also released on the US pressing of Armed Forces, 1979) Originally recorded by Brinsley Schwarz on New Favourites....of Brinsley Schwarz, 1974 Where is that harmony, sweet harmony: