1986 Songs: The Big Light

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Welcome to Wednesday, or another day of “never heard it.” I warned you! So when you ask why there’s no Bon Jovi on the list, it’s because I didn’t hear what he was doing…I was listening to this! Here’s today’s song from 1986. The Big Light - Elvis Costello Now, before you offhandedly dismiss this, consider that no less than JOHNNY CASH covered this song. Yes, that Johnny Cash. Not Johnny Creditcard, the Johnny Cash. If you think that’s weird, you need to find a list of people who appeared on Cash’s TV show in the late 60s/early 70s. He had people as diverse as Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Liza Manelli, and Jose Feliciano. Cash liked music, not just country music. The subject matter is the only thing that makes you wonder. This is quite a funny song about drinking too much the night before and all the regrets that come with it (“the hangover this morning had a personality”). As far as performance goes, you definitely believe Costello had been there more than once (and he had), while Cash (who’d also been there a few times, more with pills than booze) gave more of a “warning.” Seriously, Costello sounds like “I’ll never do that again…until tonight” in his delivery. It only took one for me. But I still love listening to people sing about them! The Big Light Written by Declan P. MacManus Recorded by Elvis Costello From King of America, 1986 Snapped ’em up like roller blinds: