Today’s Zippy strip, with a burlesque of a 1982 Elvis Costello song, notably covered by Chet Baker in 1987:
(#1) Zippy burlesques the first lines — Almost blue / Almost doing things we used to do — and the final lines — Almost you / Almost me / Almost blue — but in the middle he goes off, not into the wild blue yonder, but, stickily, into the glue
In case you didn’t get the allusion, Bill Griffith gives us a hint with his title “Almost Chet Baker”, pointing to a remarkable performance of “Almost Blue” by the jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker.
About the song, from Wikipedia:
“Almost Blue” is a song recorded by English group Elvis Costello and the Attractions from their sixth studio album, Imperial Bedroom (1982).
(#2) Covers for the 1982 albumWritten by Costello and produced by Geoff Emerick, the track shares the name of the group’s previous 1981 studio album. It was released on 2 July 1982 along with the rest of Imperial Bedroom, and would later be included on side two of The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1985). A traditional pop song, “Almost Blue” contains lyrics that compare a former relationship to a present one.
Unanimously approved by music critics, “Almost Blue” was noted for being a highlight on Imperial Bedroom; Emerick’s production on the track was also singled out by reviewers, who acclaimed his “aftermath” approach towards its composition. The song was covered by several performers, notably Chet Baker in 1987, Gwen Stefani in 1998, and by Costello’s wife Diana Krall for her seventh studio album, The Girl in the Other Room (2004).
(#3) 1987 Baker album cover
A lexicography bonus. Two items cover in this text: the noun cover referring to album covers, the verb cover referring to creating a new version of someone else’s song. From NOAD:
verb cover: 1 [a] [AZ: primary sense] put something on top of or in front of (something), especially in order to protect or conceal it … 7 record or perform a new version of (a song) originally performed by someone else [AZ: the new version is metaphorically on top of the original] …
noun cover: 1 [a] [ AZ: primary sense, with specialized uses in different contexts] a thing which lies on, over, or around something, especially in order to protect or conceal it: a seat cover [AZ: or an album cover] … 3 (also cover version) a recording or performance of a previously recorded song made especially to take advantage of the original’s success …
The primary senses convey ‘on top of, over, around, in front of’ (various kinds of foregrounding); and then metaphorical senses accumulate around these — including this sexual one:
… 8 (of a male animal, especially a stallion) copulate with (a female animal), especially as part of a commercial transaction between the owners of the animals [AZ: the male’s body metaphorically covers the female’s]
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