Song of the Day 7/11: Elvis Costello, “I’m Not Angry”

The national media have stumbled upon a story that anybody in Delaware could have told them decades ago — Joe Biden has a temper. Axios reported, rather breathlessly, that aides try to avoid one-on-one meetings with POTUS because of his explosive outbursts.

Biden’s temper comes in the form of angry interrogations rather than erratic tantrums. He’ll grill aides on topics until it’s clear they don’t know the answer to a question — a routine that some see as meticulous and others call “stump the chump” or “stump the dummy.”

The president’s admonitions include: “God dammit, how the f**k don’t you know this?!,” “Don’t f**king bullsh*t me!” and “Get the f**k out of here!” — according to current and former Biden aides who have witnessed and been on the receiving end of such outbursts.

The article notes that Biden takes pains to hide his crankiness — do you know many 80-year-old men who aren’t cranky? — behind the Kindly Uncle Joe image. Hey, Axios, ask around — nobody here in Delaware has ever thought of him as Kindly Uncle Joe. It wasn’t that long ago that he was threatening to shove rosary beads down people’s throats.

Elvis Costello could never get away with pretending to be a kindly uncle. Despite looking more like a nerd than a punk, he was pegged as an Angry Young Man as soon as his debut LP, “My Aim Is True,” was released in 1977, so by the time this song plays near the end of Side 2, it’s clear the title was facetious. His supporting band for the album, Clover, best known for backing Huey Lewis as the News, isn’t really tough enough for the song, but it’s harder than they ever had to rock with Huey.