Elvis Costello Debunks Rumor About One of His Classic Songs

Elvis Costello has offered deep detail regarding one of his most famous tunes, debunking a long-held theory about it in the process.

It was 1977 when Costello, then an unknown singer-songwriter from London, released his debut album, My Aim Is True. It featured many of the rocker’s groundbreaking early material, including the ballad “Alison.”

While Costello always maintained that the song was inspired by a gorgeous checkout girl at his local supermarket, fans and critics alike have pointed to the track’s darker, more ambiguous lyrics and suggested that “Alison” is actually about murder. During a recent appearance on the Broken Record podcast, Costello attempted to put such theories to rest.

Elvis Costello Insists ‘Alison’ Is ‘Not a Murder Ballad’

“It’s not a murder ballad,” the singer remarked. “‘Alison’ is the sense that your nature may kill the love that you cherish most.”

“It’s a love song, but it’s a love song with the possibility of failure written into it,” Costello further explained. “So it’s a little bit like these lines: ‘Somewhere a room is sweeping up the broken pieces of yesterday’s life / Somewhere a queen is weeping, somewhere a king has no wife.'”

The lyrics Costello was quoting were not his own, but rather from Jimi Hendix‘s classic tune “The Wind Cries Mary” —  a tune that heavily influenced the writing of “Alison.”

READ MORE: Top 10 Elvis Costello Songs

“That’s where I got [the concept for ‘Alison’] from,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer admitted. “I got two lessons from Hendrix. One was that song, ‘Wind Cries Mary,’ and the other was the switching songs on live television. They were the two things I learned from Jimi Hendrix.”

Costello recently released a sprawling box set celebrating the 49th anniversary of My Aim Is True. The 104-track collection — featuring demos, live performances, outtakes and a newly remastered version of the original album — is available now.