"Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" is actually not a song by Elvis Costello and The Attractions, but a cover of a classic country song originally recorded by Merle Haggard in 1966. However, Elvis Costello recorded his version of the song in 1980 for a tribute album called "Tulare Dust: A Songwriters' Tribute to Merle Haggard." The lyrics of the song depict the narrator using alcohol as a means to cope with heartbreak and loneliness. They describe how the bottle has always been a reliable friend, providing solace and numbing the pain. However, the narrator reflects on the fact that lately, the alcohol doesn't have the same effect as it used to. The memories of lost love continue to haunt the narrator even when they are intoxicated. The song portrays the emotional struggle of relying on alcohol to escape one's feelings, only to be confronted with the harsh reality once the intoxication wears off. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and longing for a lost love that cannot be drowned away by the bottle anymore. Overall, "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" explores the theme of heartbreak, addiction, and the realization that alcohol can no longer provide the solace or distraction it once did.
