You know we live in strange times when anti-war songs are being penned by . . . Burt Bacharach.  On his new album, in which he writes lyrics (as opposed to just music) for the first time:

the most stridently political number, "Who Are These People?" [is] sung by Elvis Costello.

That song, expressing disillusionment with the war in Iraq, forcefully asks, "Who are these people that keep telling us lies and how did these people get control of our lives and who’ll stop the violence ’cause it’s out of control? Make ’em stop."

"Stuff just kept going more wrong and more wrong here as I was writing," explained Bacharach, still looking youthful in a blue sweat suit accentuating his bright blue eyes.