Elvis Costello: “Complicated Shadows”

Johnny Cash would record two Costello songs during his long career— “The Big Light” from King Of America and “Hidden Shame” which was written especially for JC and wouldn’t show up on a Costello record until 2009’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane — but “Complicated Shadows” is one that Costello wrote for Cash that he never opted to record.

It’s a bit surprising— listening to EC’s demo, which sounds a lot like this version (also from the 2009 Sugarcane album)— that Cash wouldn’t at least have taken a stab at it during the decade he was recording countless songs with Rick Rubin.

Costello first released a version with The Attractions on 1996’s All This Useless Beauty which he described as the “Judge Dredd” version. That one sounds more like a Rolling Stones song, and I actually prefer it to this one. I’ll post an mp3 of that in a minute.