Nobody Jumps As You Expect

Elvis Costello and the Attractions “Two Little Hitlers”

My favorite Elvis Costello songs tend to be the ones where he is least sympathetic and kind of an asshole, but you’re with him because he’s coming from this highly relatable position of wanting some unattainable thing very badly. He’s brilliant at blending pettiness with yearning romance and making it seem appealing, maybe because he always self-aware enough to make a joke of his worst impulses without canceling out the emotional truth of his darkest, most selfish feelings. “Two Little Hitlers” is a parody of the power plays in romantic and sexual relationships in which the singer — a man who doesn’t seem to have anywhere near the sort of power in these situations he would want — imagines himself with the authority of a ruthless dictator. He’s a mess of seething resentments and deep insecurities, trying in vain to establish some kind of uncomplicated physical relationship in which he has the upper hand, but he keeps finding himself in a battle of the wills with another imagined tyrant. The song is perky and light in tone, full of great little melodic hooks that go by quickly on the way to the next bit. This highlights the humor of the piece — this could be played for drama, but it’s more pointed as a bitter joke at the expense of its character.

Buy it from Amazon.