Why Did Stephen Colbert Sing “Jump Up” With Elvis Costello on the Final “Late Show”?

The next-to-last song on Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show was an obscure pick that perfectly captured a joyous — and pointed — finale.

Stephen Colbert closed out his final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert with a couple of musical performances that made a perfect send off. The final song, of course, was the Beatles classic “Hello Goodbye,” led by Paul McCartney. It was a wonderful uplifting ending, saying goodbye to us while reminding us it was not the end. The Beatles song finale was even more touching with the recognition that Paul McCartney was turning out the lights on the show in the Ed Sullivan Theater, a place where the Beatles captured America so many years ago. But what was that acoustic song before “Hello Goodbye”?

This final segment began with Colbert wandering around before sitting and starting to sing, “Everybody’s talking like they can’t sit down / And looking like they can’t stand up.” And then for the next line, the camera moved to the songwriter of that song,”Jump Up,” Elvis Costello. Then, the song continued with Jon Batiste in a touching inclusion of the former Late Show band leader, and then Louis Cato, the current Late Night band leader.

In my music collection, I have “Jump Up” as a bonus acoustic demo song on my special CD edition of Elvis Costello’s 1977 debut album My Aim is True. Of all the songs in the world, why did Colbert choose an obscure bonus track from the 1970s as the penultimate song for his show?

Colbert has been a fan of the song “Jump Up” for a long time, so, as you can see from the look on his face, it was a joy for him to sing a favorite song with the songwriter. And it must have been cool to then “close” the show with the song and “goodnight,” and then go into the encore where the four “Jump Up” singers joined Paul McCartney for “Hello Goodbye.”

Why “Jump Up”?

But why did Colbert choose the obscure Elvis Costello song, as he loves other songs too? The likely reason for Colbert’s fondness for “Jump Up,” and the reason it worked so well in closing the show, arguably cancelled by CBS at least partly for its criticisms of a thin-skinned Donald Trump, is its satirical take on untrustworhty politicians.

Candidate talkin` on the radio from the “Cheaters Jamboree”;
It must be their latest fool;
`Cause it`s a two-horse race and he changed his bets,
Like it was just another brand of cigarettes.

Way back in 2012, Colbert explained his love of “Jump Up” in this interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air: “I love the song because it’s sort of a satirical song. It’s got a parodic nature to it, or not a parodic nature, but it’s really, it’s got sort of a political, satirical song. And I’ve never discussed this song with Elvis, so I might get a message from Elvis Costello after this interview with you, saying, ‘You know nothing of my work. What are you talking about?’ But I’ve always thought of it as a – it’s sort of like a – it’s a person who is talking about insignificance in the name of power or of something that they want, and also talking about the hypocrisy of politicians.”

Colbert further explained how the song captures a young man on a street corner, looking to get noticed, who has no power. And maybe he felt a little like that with his show’s cancellation. But the song, in Costello’s skillful writing, has a power behind it with its uplifting melody, jokingly making fun of those in power. And isn’t that what The Late Show was always about since the first episode with David Letterman?

For those of us who grew up watching The Late Show since David Letterman started the show, through Colbert’s ongoing journey from The Colbert Report to The Late Show, it was a touching send off, looking back and looking forward.

And the look of joy on Colbert’s face as he sang “Jump Up” with Costello, Batiste, and Cato, I’m sure, far surpassed any joy left in the hearts of the politicians in Washington or the people running CBS.

Hello Goodbye indeed.

Jump up–hold on tight,
Can`t trust the promise or a guarantee;
`Cause the man `round the curve says that he`s never heard,
Of you or me.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

In Praise of Fuel Efficiency: Justin Townes Earle’s “Champagne Corolla”

Justin Townes Earle wrote a rare love song that praises a woman for driving a fuel-efficient car, “Champagne Corolla.”

With the price of gasoline surging recently, it is a good time for the rare song that praises the choice of a fuel-efficient car. Perhaps there is no better song referencing the topic than Justin Townes Earle‘s song about the singer’s love for a woman driving a “Champagne Corolla.” In the song, the singer notes how the woman must have a good head on her shoulders because, “She can run all week on just one tank.”

“Champagne Corolla” appeared as the lead track on Justin Townes Earle’s 2017 album, Kids in the Street. At the time, Allmusic praised “Champagne Corolla” as a “stompin’ exercise in New Orleans-influenced R&B.” The song also appeared on the posthumous 2024 All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) in a version Earle had performed on his father Steve Earle’s Satellite radio show (see below). Steve Earle also recorded a nice version of his son’s song on his 2021 album made in tribute to Justin Townes Earle, J.T.

I don’t care what no man say,
She can run all week on just one tank;
Goes to show you,
Maybe baby got a head on her shoulders, yeah;
And she sure looks sweet driving by in that champagne Corolla.

I know every man think that he need some high tone woman,
Something built for speed;
But you can’t trust a rich girl,
No farther than you can throw her;
Need a middle class queen riding by in a champagne Corolla.

As for the car, Toyota has been making Corollas since 1966. As the singer in the song implies, the Corolla is seen as a practical compact car known for its fuel efficiency.

In the video below, Justin Townes Earle, who passed away on August 20, 2020, performs “Champagne Corolla” in May 2017 on Steve Earle’s Hardcore Troubadour Radio show on SiriusXM.

Until there is a great song about an electric car, is “Champagne Corolla” the champagne of songs mentioning fuel efficiency? Leave your two cents in the comments.

David Allan Coe: “Don’t You Cry”

Country legend David Allan Coe passed away on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. While articles about his life focus on certain songs he wrote, like “Take This Job and Shove It,” and on certain singles, like “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Longhaired Redneck,” and “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” the man’s vast catalog cannot be summed up by a few songs. And while there will be the usual labels for the Ohio-born Coe, like “Outlaw,” he had a long and complex career full of highs and lows.

And where does one start with David Allan Coe? There were some troubled times, including stints in prison and bankruptcy. But for fans, one has to start with the music. There’s forty-two studio albums, as well as some controversial X-rated independent ones. Among his catalog is some amazing work.

And one way to start is to go back near the beginning. Some of his great songs and recordings came out during the early 1970s before finding wider success and before the rise of Outlaw country. He released his debut album Penitentiary Blues in 1970, including songs he had written in prison.

But before he had much success he worked as a staff songwriter for Window Music publishing, writing songs and creating demos for other artists. In 2005, many of these demos were finally released on For the Soul and for the Mind: Demos of ’71-’74 . Although none of the songs eventually became a hit, as Allmusic notes, they are further evidence that David Allan Coe was a poet.

One of those demos was a song called “Don’t You Cry.” And it seems like a fitting way to say goodbye for now.

Don’t you cry, children;
Don’t you cry
I’ll see you in the sweet bye and bye.

I’ve been staring at tomorrow,
knowing it might never come;
I’ve been talking about salvation,
Thinking I might get me some.

It’s so hard to beat the devil,
When he don’t play by the rules;
And I know that the Savior
Has a special place for fools.

What is your favorite David Allan Coe song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

John Fullbright at Summer Breeze (Concert of the Day)

John Fullbright performed a wonderful set of his songs at the Summer Breeze concert series in Oklahoma in 2025.

John Fullbright at piano

Oklahoma singer-songwriter John Fullbright has an amazing voice that backs up his fantastic songs. While his albums have received some acclaim, he is one of those artists who does not get the national recognition he deserves.

I first discovered his YouTube cover of a Steve Earle song, and I have been following his career, waiting for his next album. I strongly recommend his album Songs as one of the great Americana albums of the last few decades.

While he does not release albums frequently enough to make me happy, he remains active performing around Oklahoma and elsewhere while also helping other artists. B

Fortunately, the camera was rolling during one of his recent performances at the Summer Breeze concert series in Oklahoma on June 29, 2025. Check it out.

Don’t let Fullbright’s everyman appearance fool you. The band rocks and plays blues, but the highlight for me is when Fullbright stands on the stage solo starting around the 47 minute mark, after which he does some songs solo while playing the piano. In these moving songs about love, heartbreak, death, and God, his ragged voice and the emotion conveys a deep power that touches one’s heart directly.

For some bonus John Fullbright, check out him covering two Elvis Presley songs, “Never Been to Spain / Saved.”

What is your favorite John Fullbright song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

The Native American Band Redbone and the Hit Song “Come and Get Your Love”

In 1974, the band Redbone had a top-10 hit with “Come and Get Your Love,” the first song by an all-Native and Mexican-American band to accomplish that feat.

In January 1974, the band Redbone released the single “Come and Get Your Love.” The catchy song, which appeared on the 1973 album Wovoka, rose to number 5 on the Billboard chart by April of that year. Many of those who only heard the song on the radio, though, did not realize the song was making history as the first song by an all-Native and Mexican-American band to have a top 10 hit on the chart.

The man singing lead on the song, Lolly Vegas, also wrote the song and played the guitar and electric sitar on the track. Other members of the band included Tony Bellamy, Peter DePoe and Pat Vegas (Lolly’s brother, who, according to his biography, co-wrote “Come and Get Your Love”).

While their hit song was not a political song, the band recognized the impact of their heritage. On the same album, they included the song “We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee,” which became a hit in the Europe even as the record company refused to release it as a single in the U.S.

The record company and the band instead released “Come and Get Your Love” as the single. Pat Vegas once explained the song is about more than romantic love: “It’s love all around, in every facet and every part of your being, you know? And that’s the message: What’s the matter with your mind and your sign? Come and get your love. In other words, where you come from and who you are doesn’t matter as much as what you believe, and what you feel.”

If you were around in the 1970s, you knew the song from the radio and from it repeatedly playing in your head. More modern listeners may know the song from its many appearances in movies and TV shows, including Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), and F is for Family (Netflix).

But back on February 22, 1974, Redbone performed “Come and Get Your Love” on NBC’s The Midnight Special. They introduced the song with a traditional Native American dance.

Leave your two cents in the comments.