Elvis Costello Oliver's Army Review


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------ performed by Elvis Costello

olivers army | Reviewer: kc | 8/8/2008

I always thought this song was about OLIVER TAMBO , with the rise of the A.N.C and the struggle with apartheid .The way the party snowballed in the 70`s Hence Olivers army are on there way... is`nt the murder mile in S Africa and the Johannesburg connection . i`m more then likley wrong on this but a great tune nontheless.

where piano collides with rock AND politics | Reviewer: Sir Bunny | 1/1/2008

I've always wondered about the lyrics of this song. I fell in love with the sound of the heavy piano, much in the genre of Elton John and Billy Joel to name a couple. I had no idea of what the lyrics of "Oliver's Army" meant so thank you to the reviewers who enlightened me.

Reference is to mercenaries | Reviewer: Athos | 11/2/2007

Oliver Cromwell's army, being the first standing force to be paid wages for their service were accused of being mercenaries.
Ergo Oliver's army = mercenaries. At the time of the song's release there were numerous campaigns around the globe employing mercenary troops - many of them from England where such service was and still is legal.

Still keeps me thinking, too... | Reviewer: T-bone | 2/13/2007

Yes, the song refers to Oliver Cromwell and his campaign in Ireland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell#_note-54
A truly brilliant song.

Oliver Cromwell's army | Reviewer: Anonymous | 5/18/2005

Although an historical reference might be too much to expect from your usual rock tune, Elvis Costello is no usual songwriter. It takes not only talent, but courage to write powerful antiwar lyrics like this:
It's no laughing party
When you've been on the murder mile.
Only takes one itchy trigger;
One more widow, one less white nigger.

oliver's army has made me think for 25 years | Reviewer: Danny | 11/12/2004

I have always loved this song. With geopolitics in the state they are in, the song seems prophetic. Hong Kong is no longer up for grabs, the Chinese have taken possession. London is full of Arabs, Muslims have managed to immigrate to every corner of the globe, controlling a large portion of south western Asia. You could be in Palestine, overrun by a Chinese line...Palestine has been a hot spot for over 2000 years and the Chinese have emerged as a global power, that itself was almost unimaginable in the seventies. Plus it's energetic pace and poppy chords disguise the seriousness of the lyrics. Oliver has always puzzled me, though. I have finally concluded, and I hope that I am right, that it refers to Oliver Cromwell,which would be way too much to expect from a rock tune. I heartily recommend this song to anyone willing to listen to it.

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