Tramp The Dirt Down by Elvis Costello

Album: Spike (1989)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

In this song Costello vows to dance on Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's grave. He clarified the song's message in Q Magazine March 2008: "You shouldn't really celebrate when anybody dies, but I think she did this country a disservice in the things she tricked out of people."
Costello explained how he came up with this song in a 1989 interview with On The Street: "The song was written at that extreme point, where that's what you feel. I kind of almost scrapped it a couple of times, I thought, that's not really the way I think, I'm more balanced than that. The arguments carried through the song are not balanced, they're not reasonable, they blame the wrong people for the wrong things, but you don't want like the social worker song, you know the person who understands everything. Writing the song is only a little bit better than kicking the television in when the news is on... The song is only a little bit short of mindless violence, isn't it?" (This interview is available at Rock's Backpages.)
When Elvis Costello played Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in 2013 after Margaret Thatcher's death following dementia, this song was quickly requested. Costello prefaced it by mentioning his father Ross' 2011 death in Merseyside, having also suffered dementia - a fate he reflected, "I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, which I suppose Margaret Thatcher was."
The Spike album was produced by T Bone Burnett along with Costello and Kevin Killen. Burnett was on the verge of becoming one of the most accomplished producers in the game. In the '90s, he helmed the Wallflowers album Bringing Down The Horse, Counting Crows' August And Everything After, and Gillian Welch's Revival.

Comments: 4

Dan from Northampton, United KingdomThe arrangement is brilliant - Irish bouzouki, low whistle, uillean pipes - and totally in keeping with the sentiments he expresses. He's taken a lot of stick for it, much worse than the commenter above, but as I write it is rising up the charts. People remember what a terrible time that was and the song expresses the powerless rage felt by millions of people she demonised and dispossessed.
As for the lyric-writing itself, he carries a long and involved narrative and seems to bend the form to fit the lyric, ending up with something that's more believable as a stream-of-consciousness raging. For me the lyrical highpoints are probably the rhyming of Madame with Tarmacadam, and the observation "I think I'll be going before we fold our arms  and start to weep" - the point at which grieving people hug themselves then have to give up holding back the tears.
Jim from Parma, OhI like Elvis overall, but this is more of the typical nonsensical know-it-all garbage we get from self-important celebrities. Thank God these people can stand on the sidelines with their cheap shots instead of having to make real decisions.
Stacy from West Hartford, CtI love this song and I think it makes you think
Lee from Tallahassee, FlI've always liked the bagpipes in this number as much as the message

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen" was originally released as "European Queen," and it underperformed. When it was issued in America as "Caribbean Queen" it went to #1 and revived his career.

I Love ItIcona Pop

Icona Pop consider "I Love It" a kiss-off to their boyfriends. "We just wanted to get the song out and get the pigs to hear it," group member Jawo said.

Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)Doris Day

"Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" was written for Doris Day to sing in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Bob Seger's "Against The Wind" has the famous mind-bending line, "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Seger was going to cut it, but his Eagles buddies Glenn Frey and Don Henley told him it was the best line in the song.

Different DrumLinda Ronstadt

Mike Nesmith wrote Linda Ronstadt's first hit, "Different Drum," before he joined The Monkees. He played an intentionally bad version of it on the show.

Hold OnWilson Phillips

The lyric to "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips was inspired by Chynna Phillips' struggles with addiction. "Hold on for one more day" is something she heard in AA meetings.