# The Very Best of Elvis Costello

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The Very Best of Elvis Costello is a compilation album by English musician Elvis Costello, first released on 21 September 1999 through Polygram Records. The album spanned his recorded work from 1977 through 1998. It was re-released less than two years later on Rhino Records as the first entry in their comprehensive Costello reissue series.

## Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.

### Disc one

* "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" (Nick Lowe) (single, 1978) – 3:31
* "Oliver's Army" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 2:57
* "Watching the Detectives" (single, 1977) – 3:43
* "Alison" (from My Aim Is True, 1977) – 3:21
* "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:07
* "Accidents Will Happen" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 3:01
* "Pump It Up" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:13
* "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" (Homer Banks, Alan Jones) (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:05
* "Radio Radio" (single, 1978) – 3:06
* "Clubland" (from Trust, 1981) – 3:43
* "A Good Year for the Roses" (Jerry Chesnut) (from Almost Blue, 1981) – 3:35
* "Man Out of Time" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 5:25
* "I Wanna Be Loved" (Farnell Jenkins) (from Goodbye Cruel World, 1984) – 4:46
* "Everyday I Write the Book" (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 3:52
* "Brilliant Mistake" (from King of America, 1986) – 3:41
* "The Other Side of Summer" (from Mighty Like a Rose, 1991) – 3:53
* "Tokyo Storm Warning" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 6:23
* "Sulky Girl" (from Brutal Youth, 1994) – 5:04
* "So Like Candy" (MacManus, McCartney) (from Mighty Like a Rose, 1991) – 4:35
* "Veronica" (MacManus, McCartney) (from Spike, 1989) – 3:07
* "She" (Charles Aznavour, Herbert Kretzmer) (from Soundtrack to Notting Hill, 1999) – 3:05

### Disc two

* "Big Tears" (B-side of "Pump It Up" single, 1978) – 3:10
* "Beyond Belief" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 2:33
* "Lipstick Vogue" (from This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:31
* "Green Shirt" (from Armed Forces, 1979) – 2:44
* "Pills and Soap" (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 3:43
* "Tramp the Dirt Down" (from Spike, 1989) – 5:41
* "Shipbuilding" (MacManus, Clive Langer) (from Punch the Clock, 1983) – 4:51
* "High Fidelity" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:28
* "New Lace Sleeves" (from Trust, 1981) – 3:47
* "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" (from My Aim Is True, 1977) – 2:46
* "Talking in the Dark" (single, 1978) – 1:57
* "New Amsterdam" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 2:13
* "I Hope You're Happy Now" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 3:07
* "Riot Act" (from Get Happy!!, 1980) – 3:34
* "My Funny Valentine" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) (B-side from "Oliver's Army" single, 1979) – 1:29
* "Indoor Fireworks" (from King of America, 1986) – 4:09
* "Almost Blue" (from Imperial Bedroom, 1982) – 2:49
* "I Want You" (from Blood and Chocolate, 1986) – 6:43
* "God Give Me Strength" (Burt Bacharach, MacManus) (from Painted from Memory, 1998) – 6:10
* "That Day Is Done" (MacManus, McCartney) (I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray, 1997) – 5:10
* "I Want to Vanish" (from All This Useless Beauty, 1996) – 3:14