http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rs-lyric-Elvis-Costello-hit-Olivers-Army.html
Apologies for the source but this seems an hysterical over-the-top knee-jerk reaction to me. Particularly as I had the lyric sheet that came with the album and the lyric runs/ran 'one more wiggle one less white ligger' As I remember, anyway.
Elvis Costello had survived a race storm by making a disgusting comment about Ray Charles so it was a particularly sensitive time for him and these lyrics were analysed and passed as OK by the hacks at the NME at the time. The song's been played a million times on the radio with no comment...until now.
I always hear the word as 'ligger', and have watched him sing it as such live on numerous occasions. It was seen as an urban musical term at the time as seen here
Ligger
Music slang. Origin obscure, but has been in use since the 1970's
A person who blags their way into parties, or back stage at music events just to get free food and drinks, and to bore their friends stupid with stories of 'how they met David Coverdale,' or 'hung out with members of Led Zeppelin.
"I went back stage at the recent Deep Purple gig, but didn't meet the band cos there was 200 other liggers in the way"
buy ligger mugs & shirts
Apologies for the source but this seems an hysterical over-the-top knee-jerk reaction to me. Particularly as I had the lyric sheet that came with the album and the lyric runs/ran 'one more wiggle one less white ligger' As I remember, anyway.
Elvis Costello had survived a race storm by making a disgusting comment about Ray Charles so it was a particularly sensitive time for him and these lyrics were analysed and passed as OK by the hacks at the NME at the time. The song's been played a million times on the radio with no comment...until now.
I always hear the word as 'ligger', and have watched him sing it as such live on numerous occasions. It was seen as an urban musical term at the time as seen here
Ligger
Music slang. Origin obscure, but has been in use since the 1970's
A person who blags their way into parties, or back stage at music events just to get free food and drinks, and to bore their friends stupid with stories of 'how they met David Coverdale,' or 'hung out with members of Led Zeppelin.
"I went back stage at the recent Deep Purple gig, but didn't meet the band cos there was 200 other liggers in the way"
buy ligger mugs & shirts
