7/367: Elvis Costello & the Attractions - I Hope You’re Happy Now.

This is such a bitter song (from one of my favorite breakup albums ever recorded, Blood & Chocolate), & this performance of it was from about 2 years before that album came out.  So, I’m guessing that Costello’s anger in the video is pretty genuine. The song must have been brand new, & knowing how whip-fast Costello wrote songs back then, the emotions that inspired the song were probably still there as well.  Boy, I love Live-National-TV-Fuck-You’s a lot.

& his looking towards the camera during that last “I never loved you ANYhow” is a wonderful “oh my goooooood yeeeees” moment.

Added note about this performance:  The album Joan Rivers displays before the performance, Goodbye Cruel World, is one Costello has admitted to being immediately ashamed of, or regretful for.  Which is made pretty clear by his choosing to play a brand new song, instead of one from the record he’s “promoting”.  This man is amazing.

Another added note:  I was less than 2 months old when EC & the Attractions played this shit.  What’s going on?