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Elvis Costello — Walking On Thin Ice
Album: Out Of Our Idiot
Avg rating:
5.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 658









Released: 1987
Length: 3:35
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Walking on thin ice, I'm paying the price.
I'm throwing the dice in the air.
Why must we learn it the hard way
And play the game of life with our hearts?

I gave you my life, you gave me your life.
Like a gush of wind in my hair.
Why do we forget what's been said
And play the game of life with our hearts?

I may cry someday. A kiss will dry whichever way.
And when my heart returns to ashes, it will be just a story.
It will be just a story.

And you go and try to walk across the lake
Crossed it with winter and all of this is ice
A terrible thing to do. They say the lake is as thick as the ocean.
I wonder if she knew?
Comments (70)add comment
EXCELLENT!!!    I love the keyboard sounds!
I never gave Elvis a second thought, until I saw him for Jackson Browne. I never thought I could be so won over with a performance. Get yourself some good speakers, turn the horns up and imagine you're seeing this live. And even if you still don't like the piece, it's worthy exercise any listening.
I never gave Elvis a second thought, until I saw him when he opened for Jackson Browne.  I never thought I could be so won over with a performance .  Get yourself some good speakers, turn the horns up and imagine  you're seeing this live.  And even if you still don't like the piece, it's worthy exercise for any listening .
I like songs like this just because they make me stop working, look at the RP site and say, "What the hell is this?!!" But, only for that.
I like it!
Channeling Bob Marley on a Casio is not the answer.
 Word.

copymonkey wrote:
I love how the tiresome Elvis bashing has never had even one iota of influence over Bill's desire to continue to play Elvis songs. The only true arbiter of musical taste here is the guy who plays the records. Y'all can bark all you want. Bill likes what he likes, and I certainly don't agree with him all the time, but I respect his musical integrity. I think that's why we all listen, innit?

 


the orchestration reminds one of NAMCO. Dig Dug anyone?!
 
 scrubbrush wrote:


I googled the phrase "I prefer the original Yoko version"... according to the internet, this is the first time phrase has ever been used.

 
{#Clap}
I am an aboriginal and
I am with idiot savant.

Originally from a great album of covers of Yoko tunes.

If her voice/style isn't your cup of tea, try her songs interpreted by Elvis, husband John, son Sean and many other luminaries and non-luminaries on the album Every Man Loves a Woman

"Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" – 3:32 - John Lennon"Silver Horse" – 3:07 - Harry Nilsson"I'm Moving On" – 2:47 - Eddie Money"Nobody Sees Me Like You Do" – 3:23 - Rosanne Cash"Dogtown" – 3:26 - Alternating Boxes"Goodbye Sadness" – 3:22 - Roberta Flack"Walking on Thin Ice" – 3:46 - Elvis Costello and The Attractions (with The TKO Horns)"Wake Up" – 2:22 - Trio"Dream Love" – 3:46 - Harry Nilsson"Now or Never" – 3:44 - Spirit Choir"Loneliness" – 3:42 - Harry Nilsson"It's Alright" – 2:27 - Sean Lennon 
I love how the tiresome Elvis bashing has never had even one iota of influence over Bill's desire to continue to play Elvis songs. The only true arbiter of musical taste here is the guy who plays the records. Y'all can bark all you want. Bill likes what he likes, and I certainly don't agree with him all the time, but I respect his musical integrity. I think that's why we all listen, innit?
 scrubbrush wrote:


I googled the phrase "I prefer the original Yoko version"... according to the internet, this is the first time phrase has ever been used.

 
{#Roflol} {#Notworthy} {#Lol}

One of the best RP song comments ever. I'm surprised Google HQ didn't blow up when you submitted that search request. 

Did Yoko have compromising photos of Elvis? He should wear a toilet seat around his neck for a week just for letting this reach the public. 
 atrocity wrote:
This first appeared on an "other people doing Yoko songs" album called "Every Man Has a Woman", which was one of the first ten or so CDs I ever bought.  While I prefer the original Yoko version, I like the Elvis Costello one just because it's so different while still recognizably being the same song.

Having said that, I never thought I'd hear anyone other than *me* play it!

 

I googled the phrase "I prefer the original Yoko version"... according to the internet, this is the first time that phrase has ever been used.
Too much Costello this week on Paradise...
Can't get into this Guy....PSD for me
Ha ha!  I thought it was a Nina Simone remix...  
Out, damn'd spot! Out, I say!
One; two: why, then, ’tis time to do ’t.
Hell is murky! Fie, my lord, fie!

^

This first appeared on an "other people doing Yoko songs" album called "Every Man Has a Woman", which was one of the first ten or so CDs I ever bought.  While I prefer the original Yoko version, I like the Elvis Costello one just because it's so different while still recognizably being the same song.

Having said that, I never thought I'd hear anyone other than *me* play it!
Cheers to that Mr Lemm, it's a bopping number!
My favorite Yoko song performed by my third favorite artist of all time.
PSD, take me away...
I respect Declan's experimentation and eclecticism but this one's seriously sucky to these ears. The Casio intro sets the tone and it's downhill from there.
I like Elvis on Blood and Chocolate.  He stopped the commercial crap on that entire album.  Not sure what he's doing with the rest.
 michaelgmitchell wrote:
Shut up, Elvis. Just shut up. Go home and be a good hubby for Diana. Your time has passed.
 
Wow!  Nice!  {#No}
Shut up, Elvis. Just shut up. Go home and be a good hubby for Diana. Your time has passed.
 helgigermany wrote:
I like this!
 

90% of the posts are favorable, so how come this only gets a 5.3?
I like this!
Fantastic record.  Elvis and Yoko together for the first and only time.
 Stuart wrote:
Since this was recorded 20 years ago, we probably won't.

And to all you naysayers... Its my upload and I'm proud of it. Gets a 10 from me.

 
You should be proud! Great upload! Gets a 9.

Rascal done got schooled there.
 rascal420 wrote:
Put the Casio away and get out the gee-tar
 

Do you have any clue about Elvis. The Attractions are a keyboard driven band with one of the greatest of all time Mr. Steve Nieve behind a wide range of keys.  EC has written many a song on the piano, and is generally the only guitarist, with his mostly rhthym but occassionally bizarre solos, on his records.  He self-effacingly called himself Little Hands of Concrete.
 lemmoth wrote:
... one of Yoko's best songs ...
 
 Now there's a phrase I never thought I would see.

Classic rock sequence — loving it.

Elvis Costello - Walking On Thin Ice
U2 - Two Hearts Beat As One
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale

Just like I love "alternative" sequences, world music sequences, grunge sequences, jazz sequences, 80"s seq..... well maybe not.

Thats why I love RP.
No where else but on RP - or at my house - would you get to hear Elvis and the TKO horns raising up one of Yoko's best songs to another level.
I don't know, I don't think of Yoko when I hear this. I think of walking on thin ice, it evokes that feeling pretty well when Elvis does it. When Yoko does it, it evokes more umm... Yoko and shrieking. But when Elvis does it, I am transported into walking, not skating away, on the thin ice of a brand new day, with a cool Farfisa organ sound with nifty guitars.
It's been years since I've heard the Yoko Ono version. On this version Elvis sings "I, I, I, I..." about 10 times. On the Ono version she SHRIEKS what sounds like "Ike, Ike, Ike, Ike..." for what seems like a minute or more. I'd like to hear the original version again, once, and RP is probably the only place where you could hope to hear it.
Meh. Not awful, not great. Just meh. I like the vocal a lot, but the keyboard sucks horribly. It sounds like a $9.99 toy from Wal-Mart.
thelionsduck wrote:
not a fan of elvis
me either
this can't be 14 years old... Great song in a great sequence Nice one Bill
Just needed to debrief from my experience of horror: I fled from RP to the RP Listener Review Channel, only to hear, through some diabolical computer glitch...THE SAME ELVIS COSTELLO SONG. Aaaaiiigh! This is gonna take YEARS of therapy to recover from. A resounding 1. :verysorry:
I haven't heard this one before... I like it because it's a little different.
Mr_Entropy wrote:
I think Bill's trying to see how bad the Elvis Costello tracks have to get on RP before he loses his snob appeal rating bonus. Looks like we found the line!
Bill has Elvis Costello high on his eclectic list, this month Guster is number 1
Mr_Entropy wrote:
I think Bill's trying to see how bad the Elvis Costello tracks have to get on RP before he loses his snob appeal rating bonus. Looks like we found the line!
I think Bill's trying to see how bad the Elvis Costello tracks have to get on RP before he loses his snob appeal rating bonus. Looks like we found the line!
Put the Casio away and get out the gee-tar
Funny, when this song started I thought it was Grace Jones.
ChicoCyclist wrote:
I like this song because it doesn't sound like the usual "music" offered up by Mr. Costello. Hopefully we'll get more of this sound from him in the future...
Since this was recorded 20 years ago, we probably won't. And to all you naysayers... Its my upload and I'm proud of it. Gets a 10 from me.
qbee wrote:
Who is this and what have they done with Elvis Costello?? arg, make it stop!
Ouch. Sometimes my hero really has a bad hair day. Come on Elvis, get out off the sofa and start rockin'!
not a fan of elvis
I like this song because it doesn't sound like the usual "music" offered up by Mr. Costello. Hopefully we'll get more of this sound from him in the future...
I think I could do without ever hearing this again (and I do like EC)
Sounds like a demo that should have been left off of a box set retrospective.
Yeah, I know, a genius like DM has to stretch and try different things - but why do we have to listen to them? BTW, it's okay to hate Yoko. The Pope hates Yoko.
Who is this and what have they done with Elvis Costello?? arg, make it stop!
I normally adore elvis costello, but this song doesn't really appeal to me.
I consider myself a big fan of Mr. Declan MacManus, but this song is, quite simply, horrible :( What about hearing \'Tramp The Dirt Down\', \'I Want To Vanish\' or \'All This Useless Beauty\'?
Elvis is an eclectic, contently experimenting, hit & miss writer/musician. But...
Originally Posted by beelzebubba: This song sucks.
Usually I try to refrain from posting negative comments about songs. In this case, though, I'm with beelzebubba.
This song sucks.
Elvis a John Lennon wannabe? I think not.
After cooperating with Paul McCartney, as a sort of Lennon stand in, now this song by Yoko Ono? Costello; a John Lennon wanna-be?
Leave it to Elvis to make an offering by Yoko into a presentable and potent performance. EC is the epitome of eclecticism.