Costello, Elvis - Ascension Day Lyrics






Not a soul was stirring
Not a bird was singing, at least not within my hearing
I was five minutes past caring
Standing in the road just staring

Thought I heard somebody pleading
I thought I heard someone apologise
Some fell down weeping
Others shook their fists up at the skies
And those who were left
Seemed to be wearing disguises

Now there's a queen in waiting
Not enough loving and too much hating
For the prince hidden within her man
Always seems to be hesitating

He said, "Let her go, let her go, God bless her"
"She hasn't been gone long enough for me to miss her"
"Except every minute of every hour of every day when I wish I could possess her"

40 days passed by
40 alibis
So carry on... that way
And in time... you'll pay
But we'll all be together
Come Ascension Day

Not a hound was howling
Or whimpering or prowling
Now the wind had departed
Not a leaf was hanging on the tree like when it started

But I know they will return
Like they've never gone away
Come Ascension Day





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Costello, Elvis Ascension Day Comments
  1. R.... D....

    Let her go
    Let her go
    God bless her.

  2. P.... D....

    Beautiful!

  3. D.... F....

    shut up Elvis! i kid. i love you Elvis. you know i do.

  4. J.... B....

    Like none other ...
    Allen ....true heart...in his music...
    Love and miss you...

  5. K.... J....

    Incredible! Something that you'd just run into in some NY Pub or some such, Incredible!

  6. M.... H....

    Beautiful!

  7. k.... ....

    Love it, love them, more...more..more!!!!!!!!!

  8. b.... c....

    this a big moment in music, great music and great singing, one of EC's and AT's best !

  9. S.... P....

    Great album! Play it all the time...

  10. p.... ....

    Yessss!!!

  11. p.... ....

    musical genius.

  12. L.... H....

    You are absolutely correct. I knew it was similar to Fess , but most N.O. piano players play that style. I did not recognize the slowed down version of Tipitina. I had googled the lyrics , and they had misspelled the co-writer as "Bird" , so even then I didn't put two and two together. I have since seen a video of Elvis on a talk show where he says it's a re-worked version of Tipitina.

  13. c.... c....

    @LJH70122 "Someone called Bird" is Henry Roeland Byrd, better known as Professor Longhair, upon whose "Tipitina" this song is based.

  14. L.... H....

    @spongebobnik I don't know Allen. He likes to walk through the festival grounds at Jazzfest like anyone else. He's real down-to-earth , very approachable and a very nice guy. He seems to enjoy discussing music and his songs in particular. Lots of people meet and greet with him and take pictures , etc. I saw him just before he played with Tom Jones. It seems like he knows everybody in the music busines.

  15. s.... ....

    @LJH70122 Thanks for that inside information LJH. We can guess and interpret all we want but it's always interesting to hear from the lyricist himself. You're lucky to know Mr. Toussaint.

  16. L.... H....

    @LJH70122 As promised , I had that discussion with Mr. Toussaint today.He says basically that Ascension Day does refer to the religious holy day , but is a metaphor for one's own spiritual awakening and "ascension" to a higher place , spiritually. But , it is not a reference to the rapture ,specifically, but he does acknowledge that with the post-apocolyptic state of the city in those days , that vibe was certainly there and understands how the lyrics could be interpreted that way .

  17. L.... H....

    @spongebobnik I googled the lyrics to this song and it's all kind of Dylan-esque , poetic imagery stuff , not coming out and saying what you mean , but offering suggestions of what you mean Co-written by Elvis , Allen and somebody named Bird. It does contain a line that references "40 days later" , which refers to Ascension Day being 40 days after Easter. I usually run into Toussaint at Jazzfest. He's quite approachable. I will ask him next time I see him what it means.

  18. s.... ....

    @LJH70122 Yes, if that is the day he's referring to, then it is not Ascension Day (ascension of Christ), but the Rapture, which you described. I think your second reading is closer to that because the lyrics say the saints are ascending. It also ocurred to me that this day (the Rapture) may be the same day in the spiritual "When the saints go marching in."

  19. L.... H....

    @spongebobnik I am correcting myself . After listening to the lyrics more closely , the song seems to be about the Apocolypse , and OUR ascension day. As , in "when the Saints go marching in". The term "saints" is applied to those who are true belivers in Jesus Christ , and they will rise up to heaven just as He did.
    This song is apparently about that.

  20. L.... H....

    @spongebobnik I don't hear the connection in the lyrics , either , but Ascension Day is the day that Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection. It's a big deal holy day in the Catholic church. Toussaint , who wrote the song is , like most New Orleans Creoles , a devout Catholic.

  21. s.... ....

    What do the lyrics mean? There is a 2007 film about a slave rebellion in 1831 and it is entitled Ascension. Otherwise the only reference I can find is to the Ascensioin of Jesus.

  22. d.... ....

    mine too.

  23. s.... ....

    Elvis gets better with age. This is a really fine collaboration with Toussaint. Like it.

  24. B.... B....

    Elvis just has such a pleasing tone. He's easily my favorite male vocalist.