Elvis Costello

[GKZ]

Temptation

Temptation

Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo
Living in air-conditioned limbo
Though they treat him just like a guest
He’s living under threat of arrest
Now that he’s finally trying to make some sense
He drinks in self-defense
Give me temptation

The subtle touch of authority will
Take you anytime down to the station
You say that it’s alright by me
Now you’re living with the curse of sophistication
Now that you’re shackled up to the rigmarole
With absolute control

I see you lying so wide awake
After I’ve given you all that you can take
So for heaven’s sake
Give me temptation

Still you want to succeed so badly
Finding your life will not be deadly
You tell me you can take it or leave it
Sometimes I think that you really believe it
You’re just itching to break her secret laws
As you go from claws to clause
Give me temptation​

 

[GKZ]

The Beat

The Beat

We’re all going on a summer holiday
Vigilante’s coming out to follow me.
Heard somebody say they’re out to collar me.
Anybody wanna swallow me?

It takes two to tumble. It takes two to tango.
Speak up; don’t mumble if you’re in the combo.

On the beat, on the beat.
Till a man comes along and he says,
‘Have you been a good boy, never played with your toy?
Though you never enjoy, such pleasure to employ.’

See your friends in the state their in.
See your friends getting under their skin.
See your friends getting taken in.

Well, if you only knew the things you do to me.
I’d do anything to confuse the enemy.
There’s only one thing wrong with you befriending me.
Take it easy. I think you’re bending me.

I’ve been a bad boy with the standard leader.
My neighbor’s revving up his Vauxhall Viva.

On the beat, on the upbeat.
Till a man comes along and he says,
‘Have you been a good boy, never played with your toy?
Though you never enjoy, such pleasure to employ.’

See your friends walking down the street.
See your friends never quite complete.
See your friends getting under their feet.

Oh, I don’t want to disease you,
but I’m no good with machinery.
Oh, I don’t wanna freeze you.
Stop looking at the scen’ry.
I keep thinking about your mother.
Oh, I don’t wanna lick them.
I don’t wanna be a lover.
I just wanna be your victim.
I don’t go out much at night.
I don’t go out much at all.
Did you think you were the only one
who was waiting for a call

On the beat, on the upbeat.
Till a man comes along and he says,
‘Have you been a good boy, never played with your toy?
Though you never enjoy, such pleasure to employ.’

See your friends treat me like a stranger.
See your friends despite all the arrangements.
See your friends Nothing here has changed.
Just the beat.​

 

[GKZ]

Night Time

Night Time

Wait until the light goes out,
I don’t want to be seen about,
maybe we could find a place to go.
Find a crowded place where they don’t care about your face,
or if your name is even Santa Claus or Joe.
I’ll be right at home if they leave me alone.
That’s why I only operate at night time.
Wait until the clock strikes ten,
it’ll all start happening then.
Baby, just you wait and see.
We can have a little party, laugh and sing and everything,
I know you’ll like it, just you wait and see.
Maybe first we’ll dig a movie,
then we’ll hit they high spots feelin’ groovy.
That’s why I only operate at night time.
The right time is the night time.
I wait `til it’s late and I can concentrate,
making love by the light of the moon.
So when it’s way past nine, get ready for a swinging time,
`cause I don’t know where to draw the line.
We can have a little party, laugh and sing and everything,
I know you’ll like it just you wait and see.
Maybe first we’ll dig a movie,
then we’ll hit the high spots feelin’ groovy.
That’s why I only operate at night time.
Night time.
(repeat 5 more times and fade)​

 

[GKZ]

New

New

Bad lovers face to face in the morning
Shy apologies and polite regrets
Slow dances that left lace sleeves no warning of
Outraged glances and indiscreet yawning
Good manners and bad breath get you nowhere
Even presidents have newspaper lovers
Ministers go crawling under covers
She’s no angel
He’s no saint
They’re all covered up with white washed grease paint
And you say...

Chorus:
The teacher never told you anything but white lies
But you never see the lies
And you believe
Oh you know you have been captured
You feel so civilized
And you look so pretty in your new lace sleeves

The salty lips of the socialite sisters
With their continental fingers that have
Never seen working blisters
Oh I know they’ve got their problems
I wish I was one of them
They say daddy’s coming home soon
With his sergeant stripes and his Empire mug and spoon

No more fast buck
And when are they gonna learn their lesson
When are they gonna stop all of these victory processions
And you say...

Chorus​

 

[GKZ]

New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam

You’re sending me tulips mistaken for lilies
You give me your lip after punching me silly
You turned my head till it rolled down the brain drain
If I had any sense now I wouldn’t want it back again

New Amsterdam it’s become much too much
Till I have the possession of everything she touches
Till I step on the brakes to get out of her clutches
Till I speak double dutch to a real double duchess

Down on the mainspring, listen to the tick tock
Clock all the faces that move in on your block
Twice shy and dog tired because you’ve been bitten
Everything you say now sounds like it was ghost-written

Chorus

Back in London they’ll take you to heart after a little while
Though I look right at home I still feel like an exile

Somehow I found myself down at the dockside
Thinking of the old days of Liverpool and Rotherhide
The transparent people who live on the other side
Living a life that is almost like suicide

Chorus​

 

[GKZ]

My Funny Valentine

My Funny Valentine

My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable, unphotographable
But you’re my favourite work of art
Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak
Are you smart?
Don’t change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little valentine, stay
Each day is Valentine’s day​

 

[GKZ]

My Little Blue Window

My Little Blue Window

This is a calling card
Maybe it will be a farewell note
The poison fountain pen now requires the antidote
But if I avert your gaze
And I should become a shrinking flower
Just punch me on the arm
This could be our finest hour

‘Til now this was my view
But I’m counting on you
How am I ever going to make you see?
Nothing in this ugly world comes easily
I want you to be...

My lovely hooligan
Come by and smash my pane
‘Til I can see right through
My little blue window

This is a fingerprint
Maybe you will feel a fond caress
But when you start to speak
Are you tempted to confess?

Well, I was a gloomy soul
Never thought I’d see a brighter day
The dark interior
Blows those silver clouds away

‘Til now this was my view
But I’m counting on you
How am I ever going to make you see?
Nothing in this ugly world comes easily
I want you to be...

My lovely hooligan
Come by and smash my pane
‘Til I can see right through
My little blue window​

 

[GKZ]

My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You

My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You

I might say that I don’t care
Hold my head up in the air
Even tell my friends I’m glad that you don’t call
But when the day is through
That’s when my heartaches start anew
And that’s when I miss you most of all

And my arms keep reaching for you
And my eyes keep searching for you
And my lips keep calling for you
And my shoes keep walking back to you

No matter how much I pretend
I wish I had you back again
‘Cause nothin’ means half as much as you
My world just seemed to die
The day you said goodbye
And I can’t forget no matter what I do

And my arms keep reaching for you
And my eyes keep searching for you
And my lips keep calling for you
And my shoes keep walking back to you​

 

[GKZ]

Mystery Dance (acoustic)

Mystery Dance (acoustic)

Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill.
He jumped out the window cause he couldn’t sit still.
Juliet was waiting with a safety net.
He said “Don’t bury me cause I’m not dead yet”.

Why don’t you tell me ‘bout the mystery dance.
I wanna know about the mystery dance.
Why don’t you show me,
‘Cause I’ve tried and I’ve tried,
And I’m still mystified.
I can’t do it anymore and I’m not satisfied.
I can’t do it anymore and I’m not satisfied.

Well I remember when the lights went out
And I was tryin’ to make it look like it was never in doubt.
She thought that I knew, and I thought that she knew,
So both of us were willing, but we didn’t know how to do it.

Chorus

Well I was down under the covers in the middle of the night,
tryin’ to discover my left foot from my right.
You can see those pictures in any magazine.
But what’s the use of looking when you don’t know what they mean.

Chorus

I’m gonna walk right up to heaven dodgeing lightning rods
I’m gonna have this very personal conversation with god
I said “You got the information, Why don’t you say so?”
He’ll say “Well I’ve been around and I still don’t know.”

Chorus​

 

[GKZ]

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Baby can you understand me now
Sometimes I feel a little mad
Don’t you know that no one alive can always be an angel
When things go wrong I seem to be mad

Chorus:
I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord please don’t let me be misunderstood

Baby sometimes I’m so carefree
With a joy that’s hard to hide
Other times it seems that all I have to do is worry
And then I know you’re bound to see my other side

Chorus

If I get mad at you I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems and I get my share
But that is one thing I would never do ‘cause I love you
Oh don’t you know I’m human
I’ve got my faults just like any one
Sometimes I lie awake long regretting
Some foolish thing, some sinful thing I’ve done

Chorus (3x)
​