Almost Blue

Album: Imperial Bedroom (1982)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This torch ballad is based on a jazz standard from 1931 called "The Thrill Is Gone," which is about a love gone cold. That song has somewhat generic lyrics ("birds were singing," "I can see it in your eyes"), but Costello's song is achingly poignant, as he sings, "There's a girl here and she's almost you... Almost."

    This isn't just a thrill that's gone, but his shot at a lasting love. It gets worse the longer it drags on; by the end, Costello laments:

    Not all good things come to an end now, it is only a chosen few
    I have seen such an unhappy couple
  • This Costello's previous album, released in 1981, was called Almost Blue, but this song wasn't part of it. "Almost Blue," the song, was released on Imperial Bedroom in 1982.
  • Costello has explored many different styles of music throughout his career. When he wrote this song, he was listening to a lot of Miles Davis and Billie Holiday. He says he was "besotted with that type of blue ballad, the minor-key ballad."
  • Trumpet player Chet Baker, whose rendition of "The Thrill Is Gone" was a favorite of Costello's, sometimes performed this song in concert and recorded a version that showed up on many compilations after his death in 1988. Other artists to cover the song include Diana Krall, Alison Moyet, Gwen Stefani and Everything But The Girl.
  • This is an unusual song for Costello in that it begins with the title, as does the song on which it is based, "The Thrill Is Gone."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."