Ο “ιδανικός αντίπαλος” του Elvis Costello, γεννημένος ίδια χρονιά και μήνα μ’ εκείνον, σ’ ένα από τα σημαντικότερα (όχι μόνο από εμπορική άποψη) άλμπουμ της καριέρας του. Ακούμε δυο all-time classics από το Night And Day του Joe Jackson. Το πρώτο από αυτά είναι πιο προσωπικό απ’ ότι ίσως φαίνεται.
Elvis Costello’s “perfect rival”, born in the same year and month as him, in one of the most significant (not just commercially) albums of his career. We listen to two all-time classics from Joe Jackson’s Night and Day. The first one is more personal than it may seem.

00:00 REAL MEN
Take your mind back – I don’t know when
Sometime when it always seemed
To be just us and them
Girls that wore pink and boys that wore blue
Boys that always grew up better men
Than me and you
What’s a man now – what’s a man mean
Is he rough or is he rugged
Is he cultural and clean
Now it’s all change – it’s got to change more
‘Cause we think it’s getting better
But nobody’s really sure
And so it goes – go round again
But now and then we wonder who the real men are
See the nice boys – dancing in pairs
Golden earring golden tan
Blow-wave in the hair
Sure they’re all straight – straight as a line
All the gays are macho
Can’t you see the leather shine
You don’t want to sound dumb – don’t want to offend
So don’t call me a faggot
Not unless you are a friend
Then if you’re tall and handsome and strong
You can wear the uniform and I could play along
And so it goes – go round again
But now and then we wonder who the real men are
Time to get scared – time to change plan
Don’t know how to treat a lady
Don’t know how to be a man
Time to admit – what you call defeat
‘Cause there’s women running past you now
And you just drag your feet
Man makes a gun – Man goes to war
Man can kill and man can drink
And man can take a whore
Kill all the blacks – kill all the reds
And if there’s war between the sexes
Then there’ll be no people left
And so it goes – go round again
But now and then we wonder who the real men are

04:03 STEPPIN’ OUT
Now
The mist across the window hides the lines
But nothing hides the color of the lights that shine
Electricity so fine
Look and dry your eyes
We
So tired of all the darkness in our lives
With no more angry words to say
Can come alive
Get into a car and drive
To the other side
Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
We
Are young but getting old before our time
We’ll leave the T.V. and the radio behind
Don’t you wonder what we’ll find
Steppin’ out tonight
You
Can dress in pink and blue just like a child
And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile
We’ll be there in just a while
If you follow me
Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light
Me babe, steppin’ out
Into the night
Into the light