When I Was Cruel is the 19th studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in the US by Island Records on 23 April 2002. Although formally credited as solo Costello album, this was the first album to feature his new band, the Imposters. Their only difference from his previous band, the Attractions (active 1977–87 and 1994–96), was the replacement of bassist Bruce Thomas, with whom Costello had feuded, with Davey Faragher (formerly of Cracker).
The album was released with multiple track listings worldwide.[12] Costello wrote two songs for the film Prison Song - "Soul for Hire", which was included with all versions of the album, and "Oh Well", which was included only in the track listing in Europe and Japan.[13] Japan also featured as a bonus track a cover of Charlie Chaplin's song "Smile", which was later released as a single.[14] When the album was released, promotional materials billed it as Costello's "FIRST LOUD ALBUM SINCE 199?".
The song "45" is about being 45 years old, Costello's age when he wrote it. The song also features Costello's penchant for multiple meanings, referencing the year 1945, .45 caliber pistols, and 45 rpm records.[4] The idea and title of "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)" came from a set of Engrish-laden dolls in Japan. It appears in the 2003 film The Shape of Things. The Bangles covered it as the title track on their 2003 album, Doll Revolution.
^"Reviews for When I Was Cruel by Elvis Costello". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "When I Was Cruel – Elvis Costello". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^Aizlewood, John. "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Blender. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^ abBrowne, David (22 April 2002). "When I Was Cruel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Petridis, Alexis (12 April 2002). "Still snarling after all these years". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Nichols, Natalie (21 April 2002). "Elvis Costello 'When I Was Cruel' Island Def Jam". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Mulvey, John (20 April 2002). "Elvis Costello : When I Was Cruel". NME. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Bryant, Will (5 May 2002). "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^"Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Q (189): 111. April 2002.
^Walters, Barry (9 May 2002). "When I Was Cruel". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^Berrett, Jesse (May 2002). "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Spin. 18 (5): 118. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
^"Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel". Discogs. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
^Strong, Martin Charles; Griffin, Brendon (2008). Lights, Camera, Sound Tracks. Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84767-003-8.
^Elvis Costello – Smile (2002, CD), retrieved 4 November 2021
From Memory (1998), number 18; WhenIWasCruel (2002), number 13; The River in Reverse (2006), number 32. Costello was born Declan Patrick MacManus. He...
Said", was released in early 2003. The title track, which was written by Elvis Costello, was originally recorded for his 2002 album WhenIWasCruel. Doll...
March 1369), called Peter the Cruel (el Cruel) or the Just (el Justo), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main...
Peter I (Portuguese: Pedro I, IPA: [ˈpeðɾu]; 8 April 1320 – 18 January 1367), known as the Just (o Justiceiro) or the Cruel (o Cruel), was King of Portugal...
rainbow (2018) EWFNO/ CMurder – Mama's Bad Boy (2019) Elvis Costello – WhenIWasCruel (2002) End of Fashion – End of Fashion (2006) Eve's Plum – Envy (1993)...
Town Red" was tracked as a double A-side in the UK, with both sides charting. "Turning The Town Red" did not initially appear on Goodbye Cruel World, although...
WhenIWas the Most Beautiful (Korean: 내가 가장 예뻤을때) is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Ji Soo, Ha Seok-jin and Hwang Seung-eon...
WhenI Woke is the second album and major-label debut of the American rock band Rusted Root. It has been certified Platinum in the United States. All songs...
Cruel Intentions 2 (also known as Cruel Intentions 2: Manchester Prep or simply as Manchester Prep) is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed...
"When This Cruel War Is Over", also known under the title "Weeping, Sad and Lonely", is a song written by Charles Carroll Sawyer with music by Henry Tucker...
Costello & the Imposters have toured extensively and released the albums WhenIWasCruel (2002), North (2003), The Delivery Man (2004), The River in Reverse...
that someone badly hurt is asked "Does it hurt?" – "I am fine; it only hurts whenI laugh." Cruel jokes series Cringe comedy Blue comedy Comedy horror...
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase in common law describing punishment that is considered unacceptable due to the suffering, pain, or humiliation...
"Cruel to Be Kind" proved to be Lowe's most successful American single. Lowe reflected on this, "WhenI had my couple of hits, I sort of felt like I was...
adventurer that Fran and Teacher meet during their journey. August The cruel vice-captain of Alessa's guards who bears a hatred towards adventurers....
The Hellbenders (Italian: I crudeli, lit. 'The Cruel Ones') is a 1967 Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Colonel Jonas is a fanatical and unrepentant...
Own Head," written by Elvis Costello and debuting on his 2002 album WhenIWasCruel. Previous versions of some of the songs were released and performed...
Originally released as a rough version on 1992's Cruel Sun, it was re-recorded in 1994 for their second album, WhenI Woke, and released as the lead single. Root's...
their songs "I Know" and "Can't Stop" as well as covers of The Isley Brothers' "Shout" and Nick Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind". The script was finalized in...
other films (such as She's All That, Cruel Intentions, American Pie, The Breakfast Club, American Beauty, 10 Things I Hate About You, Can't Hardly Wait,...
Global Information
