My next guest is a Grammy Award winning songwriter and rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

Please welcome back to L H O Elvis Costello.

Hello, Elvis Costello.

Hello, Stephen.

How are you doing?

Oh, I like that.

I like that.

I like the calm.

I like the intimacy.

It's like s m r.

I feel like I should be going to sleep soon.

Well, don't do that.

That we got a lot.

We've got a lot to talk about.

Are you sleep on your audience?

Are you Are you calling us from inside an art installation?

What is what is that background you have there?

Yes, I am.

You guess.

Just write that I am inside an art installation.

How did you know that?

That's what I get paid for.

I noticed you have.

You have two pairs of glasses on your head there, Elvis.

You know it.

Za fashion thinking.

All the kids will be doing it.

I don't know if, like these blew out on a moments notice you had another one to come down like a blast shield or something like that s o.

I haven't seen you in forever in a day, which is terrible because I'm not telling any secrets to anybody out there.

Certainly not to you that you You are my favorite, uh, rock artist of all time.

What do you What have you been doing over the last say, four years over the last four years?

You've got about 15 seconds.

You got about 15 seconds.

I've I've written quite a few songs.

I've traveled many miles on Golan.

Did things like get on planes and go to other countries to record something you would never ever imagine.

Now, until just a few months ago.

OK, now let's get to the last seven months.

How have you been holding up under covert quarantine?

Were you on tour when everything locked down was I was looking at an audience.

Onda thinking They all wondering whether they're taking a chance Coming here in the last week of the tour way started the empty spaces and sold out houses on.

I came into the wings on the last night of the tour in London and said to the guys, I think this could be it.

Let's go out there and play.

Hurry down.

Doomsday.

The bugs are taking over a song of mine, but I thought would catch the mood of the moment.

But, you know, a week later I was back home with my family on Vancouver Island and the prime minister was in the ICU.

It really wasn't funny at that moment.

Everybody was still treating this as a drop of poison in the ocean.

It'll go away, and as you know, some people continue toe believe it's it's all made up.

Fortunately, that doesn't work for my friends who have passed in this, uh, last little time.

Same.

Here it is.

It's bean.

Very sad.

But for myself, I've been tremendously grateful for the time When you say, How am I holding?

I'm holding my wife and Children in my arms.

I'm not on a bus between Iowa and Oh Maha.

In the summer months, I'm here with them every day we sit and have supper and I've I've tried to make best use of the time.

I just refused to feel sorry for myself when people, my friends in New Yorker were at one point really struggling.

I have friends who haven't fared so well with the isolation.

I don't really like people that much so I'm fine with my own company.

I'm an only child, you know.

I know.

Seriously, I tried to make the best use of it.

I've done a lot of writing.

Ah, lot of recording on.

And I'm grateful for what this has given me.

The new album is called Hey, Clock Face.

It's your 31st studio album for those of you at home keeping score.

Um, the first song was released on June 5th, called No Flag.

That was immediately heralded as a protest song at a moment when the United States in the world was being gripped by protests.

Was that Was that released at that moment?

With that in mind?

No, I mean, those sort of things just happen by coincidence.

I had written song last year for that day When you get up and the ways of the world make you feel no allegiance, no philosophy, no theology will console me on.

Do you make a furious sound now, in in my case, I did something slightly reckless as we would think of it.

Now I went you know, where the wind blew me and nobody knew me to Helsinki.

Uh, you know, the musical hub of the world A Hall of Fame Helsinki What the Finns claim to invented tango.

So I figured it.

That alone would take me that tango and tapas.

Yes, they made this when I made this clattering sound that is no flag.

And then people heard in it some some coincidental alignment to the stars and in the in the headlines I could not have planned that.

You know, the song will still sound I Hopefully it'll still sound good.

And it's not the Onley album you've got out right now you're you're glutting your glutting the market right now.

Also this massive How maney albums do you get with the new armed forces?

Complete box set here.

What is six record albums?

4 12 inch 2 10 inch, three singles.

Ah, fistful of pocket off comic books.

What is what these part of the attraction.

So the liner notes the liner notes are all comic books which are fantastic.

What is the inspiration for these?

Oh God, Who did?

Those are you know the artwork for armed forces was pop art to begin with our late friend Barney Bubbles did the original artwork total.

Kat did these covers um, one of them there, I think.

I think maybe, ah, couple of them did raise some questions.

You know, there's one there where I'm being menaced by by attractive blonde women carrying cudgels on.

Somebody asked why this on?

I said, Well, sad to say, that was my life.

Then you know what you're saying.

That's that's That's the way you want to go.

Yeah, that we look at those muscles there.

I mean, look, how how different your read.

Those were the days.

Well, Elvis, before I let you go, I wanna ask you one question.

Um ah.

Lot of politicians use songs that, um a they don't have the rights to for their rallies.

And and artists get angry about that and send them angry letters.

I assume this has happened to you in the past.

If there was a song that you think would fit a trump rally of yours, what would you suggest?

I wrote a campaign song for a musical adaptation of Virtual Berg's of Facing the Crowd, which should have bean open in New York.

At this moment, we both know the reasons why that isn't happening next year will bring it to you Can I can I read you these lines because I think they speak from my heart.

They say what I feel but cannot express.

Okay.

If you're tired of the lies of politicians on of preachers, you can put your trust in me.

Help me.

May be your brother's keeper.

If you pay too many taxes, think salvation should be cheaper.

Just say blood on hot sauce when the bailiffs are at the door and you want to vent your spleen.

Vaseline my pump adore.

I'm twice the man you should have bean hand round the ammunition on the gasoline.

Just say blood on hot sauce for the people will not judge me because there's only one damn and you know how much they love me because I'm wanted them.

I was climbing up the ratings because they said I was a Satan.

But the ladies treat me kindly because they know what's on my mind on.

I gave in to temptation on I'm lousy with penetration.

Just say blood on hot sauce.

And that is the words of Lonesome Rhodes.

Ah, lying, cheating, swindling hillbilly singer who rises through the realms of entertainment to be a man of influence.

Be careful what you wish for.

Hey, clock face is available on Friday.

Stick around for a performance by Elvis.

He's not going anywhere.

There's Mawr.

Thank you.

Well.