"Alison" was written by and first recorded by Elvis Costello in 1977 for his debut album on Stiff Records. Costello's single never charted. Linda Ronstadt, who covered the song and released her version in 1979, had a moderate hit with it.
In his 2015 autobiography Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello wrote: "I've always told people that I wrote the song "Alison" after seeing a beautiful checkout girl at the local supermarket. She had a face for which a ship might have once been named. Scoundrels might once have fought mist-swathed duels to defend her honour. Now she was punching in the prices on cans of beans at a cash register and looking as if all the hopes and dreams of her youth were draining away. All that were left would soon be squandered to a ruffian who told her convenient lies and trapped her still further".
"Alison" was written by and first recorded by Elvis Costello in 1977 for his debut album on Stiff Records. Costello's single never charted. Linda Ronstadt, who covered the song and released [her version](https://hooktube.com/watch?v=jmuoLvCnB4c) in 1979, had a moderate hit with it.
In his 2015 autobiography Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello wrote: "I've always told people that I wrote the song "Alison" after seeing a beautiful checkout girl at the local supermarket. She had a face for which a ship might have once been named. Scoundrels might once have fought mist-swathed duels to defend her honour. Now she was punching in the prices on cans of beans at a cash register and looking as if all the hopes and dreams of her youth were draining away. All that were left would soon be squandered to a ruffian who told her convenient lies and trapped her still further".
"Alison" was written by and first recorded by Elvis Costello in 1977 for his debut album on Stiff Records. Costello's single never charted. Linda Ronstadt, who covered the song and released her version in 1979, had a moderate hit with it.
In his 2015 autobiography Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello wrote: "I've always told people that I wrote the song "Alison" after seeing a beautiful checkout girl at the local supermarket. She had a face for which a ship might have once been named. Scoundrels might once have fought mist-swathed duels to defend her honour. Now she was punching in the prices on cans of beans at a cash register and looking as if all the hopes and dreams of her youth were draining away. All that were left would soon be squandered to a ruffian who told her convenient lies and trapped her still further".