"The Deportees Club" by Elvis Costello and The Attractions is a song that vividly depicts the atmosphere and emotions in a nightclub called Arrivederci Roma. The lyrics describe a scene where the protagonist finds themselves in the midst of the nightclub's fibreglass ruins, feeling as if time stands still. The nightclub is portrayed as a place where people gather to temporarily escape their troubles. The singer mentions confessions being made to a faceless and backless dress, indicating a sense of anonymity and detachment from reality. Alcohol plays a significant role in the song, with various drinks such as schnapps, chianti, porter, ouzo, pernod, and vodka being mentioned. These references intensify the feeling of escapism and perhaps suggest a reliance on alcohol for temporary happiness. The song also touches upon themes of longing and unfulfilled desires. The protagonist expresses a wish for a romantic interest to be theirs, imagining a fantasy of being a King in "Six Eight Time." This desire is contrasted with the reality of being a deportee, someone who has been expelled from their home country. The lyrics also reveal a sense of disillusionment. Rome is portrayed as burning, while everyone is engrossed in meaningless activities, depicted as "talking in riddles" and "on the fiddle." The singer laments the loss of money, as well as a thousand years drowned in a glass of alcohol, further emphasizing a feeling of wasted time and opportunities. There is a reference to someone who wrote their phone number on the protagonist's paper cuff, symbolizing a fleeting connection, but also highlighting a lack of genuine intimacy or meaning in such encounters. The song suggests a sense of displacement and frustration with the American immigration system, mentioning the loss of a return ticket and appealing to saints and martyrs for help. The law is criticized as being indifferent and ineffective, viewed as a "piece of ass," representing a lack of fairness and justice. Overall, "The Deportees Club" captures a sense of escapism, unfulfilled desires, disillusionment, and frustration through its vivid depiction of a nightclub and the emotions experienced in such a place.
