# In 1999, Elvis Costello heard “the greatest incomplete couplet” in pop lyric history. Since then, it has been streamed 28,000,000 times

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1999-elvis-costello-heard-the-greatest-incomplete-couplet-in-pop-lyric-history-since-then-it-has-been-streamed-28000000-times/
- Published: 2026-11-04T08:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T03:53:34+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/elvis-costello-favourite-incomplete-couplet/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Costello praised the lyric’s deliberate omission of an expected rhyme.
- He said the song’s music contradicts its words.
- “Hold On” later gained attention through *The Walking Dead*.

## Summary

Elvis Costello praised Tom Waits’ “Hold On” for the restraint in its lyrics, calling two lines about dancing in the cold with no music “the greatest incomplete couplet” he could think of. His point was that leaving the expected rhyme unsaid makes the moment more affecting, while the music itself seems to contradict the words.

Costello made the observation in 1999, the year Waits released the song on *Mule Variations*, which was co-written with Kathleen Brennan. The article also notes that “Hold On” later found a wider audience after appearing in *The Walking Dead*; its title cites 28 million streams.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.