Elvis Costello

[fox69]

"Miss Macbeth"

"Miss Macbeth"


All the children testified that Miss Macbeth
wore a fishbone slide in her cobweb tresses
Her eyes were black like first foot coal, clutched
as white as chalk-dust
Her fingers sweated india-ink and poison-pen
letters
There is a hungry hanging tree, just below your
bedroom window
You can hear her take a broom to beat out a
tattoo on the ceiling
Her bloodless face ran red inside but was she
really evil, was she only pantomime
Now the chalk on the wall says that somebody
saves, that somebody's face has just been
washed off the pavement
Into a puzzle where petrol will be poisoned by rain
Miss Macbeth saw her reflection
As confetti bled it's colours down the drain

[Chorus:]
And everyday she lives out another love song
It's a tearful lament of somebody done wrong
Well how can you miss what you've never
possessed
Miss Macbeth

Well we all should have known when the
children paraded
They portrayed her in their fairytales, sprinkling
Deadly Nightshade
And as they tormented her she rose to the bait
Even a scapegoat must have someone to hate

And everyday she lives out another love song
"You're up there enjoying yourself, and I know
it's wrong"

Well how can you miss what you've never
possessed
Miss Macbeth

Sometimes people are just what they appear to be
With no redemption at all
We try to walk upright when we can't even crawl

Miss Macbeth has a gollywog she chucks under
the chin and she whispers to it tenderly
Then sticks it on a pin
And It might be coincidence, but a boy down
the lane, that she said "went white as he could
do," then doubled over in pain

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"Miss Mary"

"Miss Mary"



Angels announce with trumpets
Crown you with jewels and stars
Hercules lives
Next door to Venus and Mars
Beside your pretty blue shoulder
something may trouble Jerome
Now that you're up with your friends
I know you'll never come home
Singing so babe, I know this song
Miss Mary I'm nothing without you
Everything I've done is wrong
Miss Mary I try not to doubt you

I walk in their brilliant parade
Banish the primitive gloom
Now I know where I can find you
Hung up in some Frenchman's room
Pitiful Magdalena for all to see
Must have been beautiful
So just show a little mercy to me

Hey babe, I sing this song
Miss Mary I'm nothing without you
Everything I've done is wrong
Miss Mary I try not to doubt you

There at the foot of your staircase
I stood to take in the scene
All the ashes of roses
The veined steps of marble
Purple, gold and green
Oh I wish you were my queen

They only want to possess you
Lock you away in a vault
Such a heavenly vision
And dress you up in blue
I guess it's not their fault

I know this song
Miss Mary I'm nothing without you
Everything I've done is wrong
Miss Mary I try not to doubt you

So babe, I sing this song
Miss Mary I'm nothing without you
Everything I've done is wrong
Miss Mary I try not to doubt you

 

[fox69]

"Mistress And Maid"

"Mistress And Maid"



She said, "Come in, my dear,
You're looking tired tonight
Your bath is drawn, let me loosen your tie
And fix you your usual drink"

He settles back
Takes a magazine
Kicks off his shoes
As he studies the form
Of every appealing soubrette

But where are the flowers that he used to bring?
Every endearing remark
Reminds her of passionate promises
That he only made in the dark
In her bed

She wants to shout at the back of his head
Look at me, look at me, look at me
I'm afraid
See what it's come to
I'm just your mistress and maid

The wine is warm
But the dinner is cold
The look in his eye tells her it won't be long
Till the girls on the page come to life

And they'll get the flowers that he used to bring
With every endearing remark
And all of the passionate promises
He'll never fulfil in the dark
In their bed

She wants to shout at the back of his head
Look at me, look at me, now that I'm not afraid.
See what it's come to
I'm not your mistress and maid

See what it's come to
I'm not your mistress and maid

 

[fox69]

"Monkey To Man"

"Monkey To Man"



A long time ago, our point of view
Was broadcast by Mr. Bartholomew
And now the world is full of sorrow and pain
And it's time for us to speak up again

You're slack and sorry
Such an arrogant brood
The only purpose you serve is to bring us our food
We sit here staring at your pomp and pout
Outside the bars we use for keeping you out

You've taken everything that you wanted
Broke it up and plundered it and hunted
Ever since we said it
You went and took the credit
It's been headed this way since the world began
When a vicious creature took the jump from Monkey to Man

Monkey to Man

Every time man struggles and fails
He makes up some kind of fairytales
After all of the misery that he has caused
He denies he's descended from the dinosaurs

Points up to heaven with cathedral spires
All the time indulging in his base desires
Ever since we said it
He went and took the credit
It's been headed this way since the world began
When a vicious creature took the jump from Monkey to Man

Monkey to Man

Big and useless as he has become
With his crying statues and his flying bomb
Goes 'round acting like the chosen one
Excuse us if we treat him like our idiot cousin

He hangs up flowers and bells and rhymes
Hoping to hell someone's forgiven his crimes
Fills up the air with his pride and praise
He's a big disgrace to our beastly ways

In the fashionable nightclubs and finer precincts
Man uses words to dress up his vile instincts
Ever since we said it
He went and took the credit
It's been headed this way since the world began
When a vicious creature took the jump from Monkey to Man

 

[fox69]

"Moods For Moderns"

"Moods For Moderns"


Moods for moderns [x4]
I get hit looking for a miss
I never thought that it would come to this

Moods for moderns [x4]

Though we may never be the same again
I am so proud that you've been taken in vain

What if none of your dreams come true?
I can never run from you
There's never been a how d'you do
There's never been an ending
Soon you'll belong to someone else
And I will be your stranger just pretending

[Chorus:]
Moods for moderns
Memory lingers
I let you into
Foreign fingers

Moods for moderns [x4]

I never thought that would see the day
I never thought that I would give you away

[Chorus]

Moods for moderns
Let them break us
Strong and sudden
Foreign fingers

 

[fox69]

"Motel Matches"

"Motel Matches"


Somewhere in the distance I can hear "Who Shot Sam?"
This is my conviction, that I am an innocent man
Though you say I'm unkind
I'm being as nice as I can

[Chorus:]
Boys everywhere, fumbling with the catches
I struck lucky with motel matches
Falling for you without a second look
Falling out of your open pocketbook
Giving you away like motel matches

I wake with the siren in an emergency
Though your mind is full of love
In your eyes there is a vacancy
And you know what I'll do
When the light outside changes from red to blue

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"Mouth Almighty"

"Mouth Almighty"



This town belongs to you and your tricks of confidence
All the pavements for miles around are littered with your footprints
Now every girl I get close to seems to be wearing your perfume
And the clock strikes the letters of your name
Both midnight and noon
But I used to shoot my mouth off
Till you'd had enough of me
Once or twice nightly
I know I've got my faults
And among them I CAN'T CONTROL MY TONGUE
But if you didn't believe me
Why did you have to leave me
With my mouth almighty

Mouth almighty that's what I've got
Mouth almighty telling you what's what
Mouth almighty
I wish I'd never opened my mouth almighty

SO I THREW AWAY THE ROSE AND HELD ONTO THE THORN
Crawling round with my crooner cufflinks and my calling card cologne
But the realization of being replaced starts to tell tales across my face
Without a soul to talk to or a hair out of place

 

[fox69]

"Mr. Feathers"

"Mr. Feathers"



They looked at her this way ever since she was a girl
Mr. Feathers, Mr. Feathers
The echo in every smile that would curl into a leer
Oh my dear, Mr. Feathers is near

The counter is falling
Something is spoiling
It's really appalling
You pleased and you promised
You never saw it through
Nobody knows the damage that we do
Do you carry it with you?

She passed him out in the street
He suddenly seemed so frail
As her fast heart beat
She should kick him anyway
Sharpen her nails...
For eyes that strayed where hands should never stray

She thought she was wanton ever since she was a girl
Mr. Feathers, Mr. Feathers
The kindness in every smile that would curl into a sneer
Oh my dear, Mr. Feathers is near

Her lover is calling
Something is spoiling
It's really appalling

You pleased and you promised
You never saw it through
Nobody knows the damage that we do
The damage that we do

 

[fox69]

"Must You Throw Dirt In My Face"

"Must You Throw Dirt In My Face"



What is it that brings you to this part of town
Curiosity, conscience or fate
I know it's not love
Cause I once gave you love
And all you showed me was the gate
I got a feeling you've come back
To just rub it in
And to really put me in my place

You've already but big old tears in my eyes
Must you throw dirt in my face
Must you keep telling me that you've got a new love
I don't need you to remind me
Must you keep telling me how I look so lonely
And my better days are behind me

Must you keep showing me pictures of him
Boasting of his warm embrace
You've already put big old tears in my eyes
Must you throw dirt in my face

You've already left me
And broken my heart
Told me how much you don't want me
Believe me I'm happier when we're apart
Why must you come back now to haunt me

Must you keep showing me pictures of him
Boasting of his warm embrace
You've already put big old tears in my eyes
Must you throw dirt in my face
You've already put big old tears in my eyes
Must you throw dirt in my face
Must you throw dirt in my face

 

[fox69]

"My All Time Doll"

"My All Time Doll"



When I was away I needed you so
And now coming I'm home to stay
I won't wake in the night and reach for you
And turn on the light and to my dismay

You're not there
You're never around
Or is it me?
It's so hard to see
I flick off the switch
And stare in dark
And wait for you to appear

You're My All-Time Doll
I'm out of control
It's broken my mind
But that's not all that you stole

You're My All-Time Doll
You're all I adore
I'd swear to it now it
But I already swore

My eyes are blinded with tears
But it's all my own fault
My lips taste of cruel words
My eyes sting with salt
But you can take the way I feel about you
And put it in a vault

You're My All-Time Doll

From near and from far
I've known many a girl,
Now... I'm closing in

My heart is beating
Like a whip on a hide
It's raining outside

You're My All-Time Doll
I'm out of control
It's broken my mind
That's not all that you stole

You're My All-Time Doll
You're all I adore
I'd swear to it now it
But I already swore

Every time I rant and rail
Every time I try and fail
Any time I want to quit
And say, "That's the end of it"
When I stand and start to leave
You cool my brow, you tug my sleeve

You're My All-Time Doll

I'm walking, I'm pacing, my heart is racing
I swear that clock is running slow
It only speeds up for a moment or so
Each time it's time for me to go

You're My All-Time Doll
I'm out of control
It's broken my mind
That's not all that you stole

You're My All-Time Doll
You're all I adore
I'd swear to it now it
But I already swore

In the far flung cry of a closing saloon
On the blank back side of that poisonous moon
I tried not to think about you
I thought I was immune..

You're My All-Time Doll