English rock legend Elvis Costello has decided to drop ‘Oliver’s Army’ from his upcoming concert series’ setlist.

The 1979 song took the charts by storm for its lyrics inspired by the Troubles that plagued Northern Ireland for thirty years.

‘Olver’s Army’ is one of many songs detailing the extreme violence of the era, but Costello stood out for his ability to balance violence with the new wave rock movement of the 1970s.

Although the song reached number 2 in the U.K. charts back in 1979, it has struggled to stand the test of time for its controversial use of a racial slur.

Costello recently announced he would be retiring the song from upcoming shows, deciding against reworking it to prevent the message from being lost.

The Meaning Behind ‘Oliver’s Army’

Music has been an ideal means of spreading messages throughout history.

Costello wrote ‘Oliver’s Army’ for his album Armed Forces in the hope he could capture the essence of the impact imperialism and military regimes had over the people of Belfast.

The singer explained the reason for penning the song in his book, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.

He stated that upon his first trip to Belfast in 1978, he saw “mere boys walking around in battle dress with automatic weapons. They were no longer just on the evening news. These snapshot experiences exploded into visions of mercenaries and imperial armies around the world.”

The foundation of the song (and other songs on the album) was the notion of the working-class boy having to do the killing, a sentiment that affected Costello on a personal level.

The star’s family had roots in Northern Ireland, and his grandfather had served as a British soldier during World War I and the Easter Rising.

No stranger to the world’s bigotry, Costello wrote the song in an attempt to capture the harsh reality of living in Belfast at such a devastating point in time.

The title of the song is a reference to the English Parliamentary leader Oliver Cromwell, who had personally led English forces during the 1649 war with Ireland.

The song also references other imperialist conflicts occurring around the world in the mid-to-late seventies. 

Why Is ‘Oliver’s Army’ So Controversial?

According to Costello, the song is not meant to be listened to as a political piece. He claimed it was simply pop music, adding that the opening lyrics “argued the absurdity of even trying to write about such a complex subject.”

The lyrics that have made the song so controversial are:

“Only takes one itchy trigger / One more widow, one less white [N-word].”

Costello’s justification for the use of the slur is not ideal, and he was vehemently accused of racism after the song was released. 

Although the phrase was used against Irish Catholics, many took offense to the use of the work in the song’s lyrics.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Costello said:

“If I wrote that song today, maybe I’d think twice about [including the slur]. It’s historically a fact. But people heard that word go off like a bell and accuse me of something that I didn’t intend.”

Unsuccessful Rewritings

Costello revealed he had made attempts to rewrite the verse during his last tour but felt the song lost its point in edits.

“On the last tour, I wrote a new verse about censorship, but what’s the point of that?

“So I’ve decided I’m not going to play it,” he revealed.

Over the years, many radio stations playing the song simply bleeped the word, thinking that would be more acceptable.

Costello believes this to be a mistake, adding, “they’re making it worse by bleeping it for sure. Because they’re highlighting it then. Just don’t play the record!”

Elvis Costello On Covering Hit Songs

Costello quipped in the interview:

“When I fall under a bus, [radio stations will] play She, Good Year for the Roses and Oliver’s Army,” noting that the first two songs were not written by him.

“I’ll die, and they will celebrate my death with two songs I didn’t write. What does that tell you?” he added.

Two of Costello’s most recognizable songs happened to be covers of other artists.

‘Good Year For The Roses’ was initially written for George Jones by Jerry Chesnut, and ‘She’ was first written and performed by Charles Aznavour.

Costello’s 1999 cover of the latter is currently the biggest of any of his songs across streaming services, with 80 million plays on Spotify alone. 

Costello’s Songs Are Not The Only Point Of Controversy

Despite his immense success in the 1970s, even Elvis Costello could not evade the critics.

In their defense, he gave them plenty to write about.

On December 17, 1977, Costello and his backing band, The Attractions, were recruited as the replacement act on Saturday Night Live.

Costello, who realized this was the perfect opportunity to behave like an up-and-coming rockstar, decided to imitate Jimi Hendrix on-air.

The group was performing ‘Less Than Zero’ when Costello suddenly stopped the band mid-intro, getting them to play ‘Radio, Radio’ instead.

Costello had wanted this to be one of the two songs he performed on the show but was shot down by creator Lorne Michaels.

‘Radio, Radio’ is heavily critical of the commercialization of airwaves, a fact that was destined to anger both Michaels and NBC – who had become synonymous with the rise of television and radio.

His Hendrix-like outburst had Costello banned from appearing on the show until 1989, and he succeeded in building a reputation as a free-thinking rocker.

His impulsive behavior on national television shot his debut album into fame, and its popularity exploded in the United States after the show aired.

Costello was forced to address a supposed history of racial abuse after a 1979 drunken argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlet, hurting his newfound reputation.

The singer used racial slurs to describe James Brown and Ray Charles, two beloved music icons.

Costello apologized for his behavior at a press conference in New York City, claiming his drunken outburst was necessary to outrage Stills and Bramlett.

Unexpectedly, Charles had forgiven Costello, warning him to be careful of what gets leaked to the press in the future.