Less Than Zero (song)

"Less Than Zero" is the eighth track on Elvis Costello's debut album My Aim Is True, and the first Costello single that Stiff Records released.

In the liner notes to the Rhino edition of the album, Costello writes:

"Less Than Zero" was a song I had written after seeing the despicable Oswald Mosley being interviewed on BBC television. The former leader of the British Union of Fascists seemed unrepentant about his poisonous actions of the 1930s. The song was more of a slandering fantasy than a reasoned argument.^[1]

The song therefore fits in with a number of anti-fascist protest songs on early Costello albums, which also include "Night Rally" from This Year's Model and "Goon Squad" from Armed Forces. In this case, a racist and totalitarian movement is seen in terms of sub rosa teenage sex: "Turn up the TV... Even your mother won't detect it/So your father won't know."

On his first visit to the United States, Costello substantially rewrote the lyrics to refer to Lee Harvey Oswald. This was a reference to the common misconception among American fans that this was the "Mr Oswald" referred to in the original lyrics. This version is usually referred to as the "Dallas version" and is available as a bonus track on the My Aim is True reissue, and a live version can be found on Live at the El Mocambo.

The song later provided US author, Bret Easton Ellis, with the title of his debut novel.

The song was also involved in Costello's infamous performance on Saturday Night Live on December 17, 1977. Following pressure from his record company to play the song on the show, Costello began to play the song, but stopped after only a few bars, saying that "there's no reason to do that song here." He then launched into an unannounced performance of "Radio Radio", a song he had promised not to play. As a result, he was banned from the show until 1989.

"Less Than Zero" appears on the first Stiff Records compilation; A Bunch of Stiff Records, whilst the B-side, "Radio Sweetheart", appears on their second; Hits Greatest Stiffs

References