Oliver's Army | Elvis Costello & The Attractions -

The song contains a highly controversial racial slur in the second verse: "Only takes one itchy trigger / One more widow, one less [slur]."

The British military was heavily present in Northern Ireland.

Costello wrote the song after visiting , during "The Troubles." Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Oliver's Army

Ranked by Rolling Stone and NME as one of the greatest songs of all time.

Refers to Oliver Cromwell , the 17th-century English leader who led a brutal conquest of Ireland. The song contains a highly controversial racial slur

The song was written during a period of high unemployment and social unrest in the UK. 1978 (recorded), 1979 (released).

Steve Nieve’s piano part was inspired by Abba’s "Dancing Queen." The song was written during a period of

In 2022, Costello announced he would stop performing the song live and asked radio stations to stop playing it, stating that the slur "poisons" the song's intent for modern audiences. 💿 Critical Reception Chart Success: Spent 12 weeks on the UK charts.