English rock legend Elvis Costello has decided to drop ‘Oliver’s Army’ from the setlist for his next series of concerts.

The 1979 song stormed the charts 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 its ability to balance violence with the new wave rock movement of the 1970s.

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

Costello recently announced that he would be pulling the song from future shows, deciding not to rework it to prevent the message from being lost.

The meaning of “Oliver’s army”

Music has been an ideal way to spread messages throughout history.

Costello wrote “Oliver’s Army” for his album Armed forces in the hope that it could capture the essence of the impact of imperialism and military rule on the people of Belfast.

The singer explained the reason for writing the song in his book, Faithless music and disappearing ink.

He said that on his first trip to Belfast in 1978 he saw “Simple boys walking around in combat gear with automatic weapons. They weren’t just on the evening news anymore. These instant experiences exploded into visions of mercenaries and Imperial armies across the world.

The foundation of the song (and other songs on the album) was the notion that the working-class boy should kill, a feeling 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 in World War I and the Easter Rising.

No stranger to global bigotry, Costello wrote the song with the aim of capturing the harsh reality of life in Belfast at such a devastating time.

The title of the song refers to English House Leader Oliver Cromwell, who had personally led English forces during the 1649 war with Ireland.

The song also references other imperialist conflicts that occurred 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 just pop music, adding that the opening lyrics “argued the absurdity of even trying to write about such a complex subject.”

The lyrics that made the song so controversial are:

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

Costello’s justification for using the insult is less than ideal, and he was vehemently accused of racism after the song’s release.

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 this song today, maybe I’d think twice [including the slur]. It is historically a fact. But people heard that word ringing like a bell and accusing me of something I didn’t mean.

Unsuccessful rewrites

Costello revealed that he attempted to rewrite the verse on his last tour, but felt the song lost interest in the edits.

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

“So I decided not to play it” he revealed.

Over the years, many radio stations playing the song simply blew the word out, thinking it would be more palatable.

Costello thinks this is a mistake, adding, “they make it worse by making it beep for sure. Because then they highlight it. Don’t play the record!

Elvis Costello on the cover of hit songs

Costello joked 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 will die, and they will celebrate my death with two songs that I did not write. What does that tell you?” he added.

Two of Costello’s most recognizable songs were covers by other artists.

“Good Year For The Roses” was originally written for George Jones by Jerry Chestnut, 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 on streaming services, with 80 million plays on Spotify alone.

Costello’s songs aren’t the only controversial topic

Despite his huge success in the 1970s, even Elvis Costello could not escape criticism.

In their defense, he gave them a lot to write about.

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

Costello, who realized this was the perfect opportunity to act like a rising rockstar, decided to impersonate Jimi Hendrix on air.

The band were playing “Less Than Zero” when Costello suddenly stopped the band midway through the intro, forcing them to play “Radio, Radio” instead.

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

“Radio, Radio” strongly criticizes the commercialization of the airwaves, a fact that was intended to irritate both Michaels and NBC – which had become synonymous with the rise of television and radio.

His Hendrix-like outburst barred Costello from appearing on the show until 1989, and he managed to establish a reputation as a free-thinking rocker.

Her impulsive behavior on national television made her debut album famous, and her popularity skyrocketed in the United States after the show aired.

Costello was forced to address a supposed history of racial abuse after a drunken argument in 1979 with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlet, damaging 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 New York press conference, saying his booze blast was necessary to outrage Stills and Bramlett.

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