"Stranger in the House" is a song written by English musician

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

. Costello recorded the song as a duet with country music star

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...

in the summer of 1978 for Jones' 1979 album ''

My Very Special Guests ''My Very Special Guests'' is a duet album by American country music artist George Jones released in 1979 on the Epic Records label. Background By the late 1970s, Jones was in such bad shape from his drinking and cocaine addiction that it took h ...

''. Costello recorded an earlier solo version which surfaced as a free 7" single with the first 1000 copies of his second album ''

This Year's Model ''This Year's Model'' is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 17March 1978 through Radar Records. After being backed by Clover for his debut album ''My Aim Is True'' (1977), Costello formed the ...

'' which was released in the United Kingdom in March 1978. A third version was recorded with the Attractions for a

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

session on 23 October 1978. According to Holly Jones-Warren's liner notes to the 2005

Legacy Records In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...

reissue of ''My Very Special Guests'', Costello wrote the song specifically with Jones in mind, with the new wave star stating, "George Jones was my guiding light whenever I wrote in the country idiom". According to biographer David Gouldstone, "Stranger in the House" marked Costello's first exploration into

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, which music professor James E. Perone states "paved the way" for his later forays on albums such as ''

Almost Blue ''Almost Blue'' is the sixth studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his fifth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (drummer), Pete Thomas (no relation). It was reco ...

'' (1981). Perone states that the song demonstrates that "Costello understood the country genre musically and lyrically," explaining that "Costello's character equates his home with a transient hotel, as he explains his sense of disconnection and alienation from his family; this rings true as a metaphor that could easily be expected in an American country song. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone (magazine), ...

described the song as a "lovely but bizarre country oddity." Costello said of his duet with Jones that "it was just a happy coincidence that they happened to be doing a duets record and I got invited to sing with him. Truthfully, I wish I had a George Jones solo recording of that song because my contribution to the record is probably the low point of it."

References

{{Elvis Costello 1979 songs George Jones songs Elvis Costello songs Songs written by Elvis Costello Song recordings produced by Billy Sherrill