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Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello


Background information
Birth name Declan Patrick MacManus
Born August 25, 1954
Born place Paddington, London, England
Genre(s) Pub Rock
New Wave
Years active 1970—present
Label(s) Island Records
Columbia Records
Mercury Records
Lost Highway Records
Verve Records
Deutsche Grammophon
Hip-O Records
Stiff Records
Associated acts Diana Krall
Burt Bacharach
Brodsky Quartet
Website Website



Music World  →  Lyrics  →  E  →  Elvis Costello  →  Albums  →  Almost Blue

Elvis Costello Album


Almost Blue (1981)
1981
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. . .


Why don't you love me like you used to do?
How come you treat me like a worn out shoe?
My hair is still curly and my eyes are still blue
Why don't you love me like you used to do?
Ain't had no lovin' like a-huggin' and a-kissin' in a long, long while
We don't get nearer, further, closer than a country mile

Why don't you be the sort you used to be?
How come you find so many faults with me?
I'm the same old trouble that you've always been through
Why don't you love me like you used to do?

Ain't had no lovin' like a-huggin' and a-kissin' in a long, long while
We don't get nearer, further, closer than a country mile

Why don't you spark me like you used to do?
Say sweet nothings like you used to coo
Somebody's changed, so let me give you a clue
Why don't you love me like you used to do?

. . .


Sweet dreams of you, every night I go through
I should hate you girl the whole night through
Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you
You don't love me it's plain
I should have known you'd never share my name
Why can't I forget you girl, start loving someone new?
Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you

Why can't I forget my past, start loving someone new?
Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you

Sweet dreams of you, every night I go through
I should hate you girl the whole night through
Instead I'm having sweet dreams all about you

. . .


We used to go out walkin' hand in hand
You told me all the big things you had planned
It wasn't long till all your dreams came true
Success put me in second place with you
You have no time to love me anymore
Since fame & fortune knocked upon our door
I spend all my evenings all alone
Success has made a failure of our home

If we could spend an evening now & then
Perhaps we'd find true happiness again
You never hold me like you used to do
It's funny what success has done for you

You have no time to love me anymore
Since fame & fortune knocked upon our door
I spend all my evenings all alone
Success has made a failure of our home

. . .


You may be sweet and nice
That won't keep you warm at night
'Cause I'm the one who taught you how
To do the things you're doing now
He may feel all your charms
He may hold you in his arms
But I'm the one who let you in
I was right beside you then
Once upon a time
You let me feel you deep inside
And nobody knew, nobody saw
Do you remember the way you cried?

I'm your toy, I'm your old boy
But I don't want no one but you to love me
Oh I wouldn't lie
You know I'm not that kind of guy

Once upon a time
You let me feel you deep inside
And nobody knew, nobody saw
Do you remember the way you cried?

I'm your toy, I'm your old boy
But I don't want no one but you to love me
Oh I wouldn't lie
You know I'm not that kind of guy

. . .


Tonight the bottle let me down
It let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found
Tonight the bottle let me down
I've always had a bottle I could turn to
And lately I've been turnin' every day
But the wine don't take effect the way it used to
And I'm hurtin' in old familiar ways

Tonight the bottle let me down
It let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found
Tonight the bottle let me down

Each night I leave the bar room when it's over
Not feeling any pain at closing time
But tonight your memory found me much too sober
I can't drink enough to keep you off my mind

Tonight the bottle let me down
It let your memory come around
The one true friend I thought I'd found
Tonight the bottle let me down

. . .


We stood there in the courthouse room so close but far apart
You brought along the lawyer and I brought a broken heart
The judge pronounced the words the way you wanted him to do
You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine
from Brown to Blue
I couldn't help my tears from falling on the courtroom floor
My love, they took away my right to love you anymore
My world just seemed to stop as I stood there so close to you
You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine
from Brown to Blue

The judge forgot to tell me how I'd live my life alone
What I would do without you after loving you so long
He didn't seem to care that I'm still in love with you
You changed your name from Brown to Jones and mine
from Brown to Blue

I couldn't help my tears from falling on the courtroom floor
My love, they took away my right to love you anymore
My world just seemed to stop as I stood there so close to you
You changed your name from Brown to Jones
and mine from Brown to Blue

. . .


I can hardly bear the sight of lipstick
On the cigarettes there in the ashtray
Lyin' cold the way you left 'em,
But at least your lips caressed them
While you packed
Or the lip-print on a half-filled cup of coffee
That you poured and didn't drink
But at least you thought you wanted it,
That's so much more than I can say for me
What a good year for the roses
Many blooms still linger there
The lawn could stand another mowin'
Funny I don't even care
As you turn to walk away
As the door behind you closes
The only thing I have to say
It's been a good year for the roses

After three full years of marriage,
It's the first time that you haven't made the bed
I guess the reason we're not talkin',
Tere's so little left to say we haven't said
While a million thoughts go racin' through my mind
I find I haven't said a word
From the bedroom the familiar sound
Of a baby's cryin' goes unheard

What a good year for the roses
Many blooms still linger there
The lawn could stand another mowin'
Funny I don't even care
As you turn to walk away
As the door behind you closes
The only thing I have to say
It's been a good year for the roses

. . .


I got loaded last night on a bottle of gin
And I had a fight with my best girlfriend
When I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend
So please baby wait for me until they let me out again
I know the same thing has happened before
And each time it happens, I hate it more & more
When I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend
So please baby wait for me until they let me out again

I spent a whole lotta time sittin' & thinkin'
Sittin' & just thinkin' 'bout you
If I didn't spend so much time sittin' & drinkin'
We'd still have the love I thought we knew

I won't promise the same thing won't happen again
But I can promise, it'll be a long, long time till then
'Cause when I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend
So please baby wait for me until they let me out again

. . .


Up above me are the skies
Like the twinkle in your eyes
Blue must be the colour of the blues
In the mail, the letters came
But you can't pay for love the same
Blue must be the colour of the blues
The bluebird singin' in the trees
Seems to sympathize with me
'Cause he's not singin' like he used to do
Pretty waters in the sea
Feel as cold as you left me
Blue must be the colour of the blues

Blue days come and blue days go
The way I feel, nobody knows
Life is finally empty without you
There's a blue note in each song
That I sing since you've been gone
Blue must be the colour of the blues

. . .


I can tell somewhere there's someone you love more than me
Someone you love more than me
And it hurts to say it that you have a right to be free
I know that's the way it should be
Oh but I'm too far gone
Too far gone
I know I've loved you too much for too long
And I'm too far gone

If ever your new love should hurt you or make you feel blue
Hurt you or make you feel blue
Just remember your old love will still be around loving you
I'll be around loving you

Oh 'cause I'm too far gone
Too far gone
I know I've loved you too much for too long
And I'm too far gone

. . .


Come into this house and stop that yakity yak
'Cause your sugar-daddy don't want no talkin' back
You keep on babblin', talkin' 'bout this and that
I got news for ya baby, you ain't nothin' but an alley cat
Turn off the waterworks baby, they don't move me no more
I'm leavin' this town, ain't comin' back no more
Honey hush

Come into this house and stop that yakity yak
You're makin' me nervous and I'm holdin' a baseball bat

Hi-ho, hi-ho silver
Hi-ho, hi-ho silver away

. . .


Darling, there is one thing I must tell you, you must know
It's so hard to say the words I feel
This fancy that I'm on's been going on too long
It's time to stop pretending things are real
'Cause I've been living deep in sin, I've been living blind
And I just don't know what's right or wrong
To take a chance on losing you is such a silly thing to do
A chance I might wake up and find you gone
Blue, so blue, my love is burning blue
Any private flame could be a lie
Blue, so blue, my love still burns for you
But I know I'll only make you cry

A thief can only steal from you
He cannot break your heart
He can never touch the precious things inside
Someone like you should surely be
Miles and miles away from me
Then you'd never care how much I lied
So try to understand the pain
It takes so long when I explain
Please don't you forget how much I lied
How much I lied

. . .


They used to call it Sin City
now it's gone way past that
Painting the town
and then burning it down
now even that's old hat
Now there's a choir of angels
at the fall of Rome
singing "Ave Maria"
or "Home Sweet Home"

It's just a heathen town
I hear only evil
as my tongue is tightened
I used to be god-fearing
now I'm so frightened
'cause the devil will drag you under
by the sharp tailfin
of your checkered cab
And I can't sit down,
I'm going overboard
in this heathen town

It starts as a flirtation
and ends up as an expensive habit
With one eye on her place
in debtor's prison
And the other on a girl
dressed as a rabbit.
Now you can live forever
endure fits and starts
The only stake you cannot raise
Is the one driven through your heart

It's just a heathen town
I hear only evil
as my tongue is tightened.
I used to be god-fearing
now I'm so frightened
'cause the devil will drag you under
by the sharp tailfin
of your checkered cab
And I can't sit down,
I'm going overboard
in this heathen town



. . .


Everybody knows where you go when the sun goes down
They say you only live to see the lights of town
I wasted my time when I would try, try, try
'Cause when the lights have lost their glow, you'll cry, cry, cry
Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone
And you'll wake up some cold day and find you're alone
You'll come to me but I'm gonna tell you bye, bye, bye
When I turn around and walk away, you'll cry, cry, cry

You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll cry alone
When everyone's forgotten and you're on your own
You're gonna cry, cry, cry

I lie awake at night and wait till you come in
You stay a little while and then you're gone again
Every question that I ask, I get a lie, lie, lie
For every lie you tell, you're gonna cry, cry, cry

When your fickle little love gets old, no one will care for you
You'll come back to me for a little love that's true
I'll tell you no and you're gonna ask me why, why, why
When I remind you of all of this, you'll cry, cry, cry

You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll want me there
It'll hurt when you think of the fool you've been
You're gonna cry, cry, cry

. . .


Don't wait for the telephone if you want a call from me
There won't be anymore, there won't be anymore
And don't wait for the mailman if you want a letter from me
There won't be anymore, there won't be anymore
All the love we had until you turn back
And it broke my lovin' heart in two

When you're heart is breakin' and you want some lovin' from me
There won't be anymore, it won't be like before
It won't be like before, there just won't be anymore

All the love we had until you turn back
And it broke my lovin' heart in two

When you're heart is breakin' and you want some lovin' from me
There won't be anymore, it won't be like before
It won't be like before, there just won't be anymore

. . .


I got loaded last night on a bottle of gin
And I had a fight with my best girlfriend
When I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend
So please baby wait for me until they let me out again
I know the same thing has happened before
And each time it happens, I hate it more & more
When I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend
So please baby wait for me until they let me out again

I spent a whole lotta time sittin' & thinkin'
Sittin' & just thinkin' 'bout you
If I didn't spend so much time sittin' & drinkin'
We'd still have the love I thought we knew

I won't promise the same thing won't happen again
But I can promise, it'll be a long, long time till then
'Cause when I'm drinkin' I am nobody's friend
So please baby wait for me until they let me out again

. . .


Come into this house and stop that yakity yak
'Cause your sugar-daddy don't want no talkin' back
You keep on babblin', talkin' 'bout this and that
I got news for ya baby, you ain't nothin' but an alley cat
Turn off the waterworks baby, they don't move me no more
I'm leavin' this town, ain't comin' back no more
Honey hush

Come into this house and stop that yakity yak
You're makin' me nervous and I'm holdin' a baseball bat

Hi-ho, hi-ho silver
Hi-ho, hi-ho silver away

. . .


Can Mary fry some fish, mama
I'm as hungry as can be
Oh lord, how I wish, mama
You could stop the baby cryin'
'Cause my head is killing me
I saw my ex again last night mama
She was at the dance at Miller's store
She was with that Jackie White mama
I killed them both
And they're buried under Jacob's sycamore

You think I'm psycho don't you mama
I didn't mean to break your cup
You think I'm psycho don't you mama
You better let 'em lock me up

Oh, don't hand me Johnny's pup mama
As I might squeeze him too tight
I'm havin' crazy dreams again mama
So let me tell you 'bout last night
I woke up in Johnny's room mama
Standing right there by his bed
With my hands around his throat mama
Wishing both of us were dead

You think I'm psycho don't you mama
I just killed Johnny's pup
You think I'm psycho don't you mama
You'd better let 'em lock me up

Oh you recall that little girl mama
I believe her name was Betty Clark
Oh don't tell me that she's dead mama
'Cause I just saw her in the park
We were sitting on a bench mama
Thinking of a game to play
Seems I was holding a wrench mama
Then my mind just walked away

You think I'm psycho don't you mama
I didn't mean to break your cup
You think I'm psycho don't you mama
Mama why don't you get up?

. . .


You tell me you married an angel
She's made heaven out of your home
You say there couldn't be rainbows in heaven
'Cause she's brought you happiness that you've never known
You may hate me for what I've to tell you
But you'll thank me for setting you right
While you work to keep angels in heaven
Your angel steps out of heaven each night

Her heaven's not the same as you're living in
It's any place where there's music and a free drink from him
So call her your angel, I won't say you're not right
But your angel steps out of heaven each night

. . .


Here I am late again for the last time
And like I promised, I just told her goodbye
Please believe me 'cause this time, it's really over
And darling, you know I wouldn't lie
Didn't I come and tell you about her
How temptation lured she and I
Now I know it was only fascination
And darling, you know I wouldn't lie

I had to let her down easy as slow as I could
After all, she's got feelings too
But it took a little longer than I thought it would
But this time, she knows we're really through

She wanted to hold me forever
And this lipstick shows her final try
And these tears on my shoulder are proof that she failed
And darling, you know I wouldn't lie

. . .


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

. . .


I know the name on the tip of your tongue
And I know that accusing look
Everybody knows I've been so wrong
That's the problem and here's the hook
Tears before bedtime
There'll be trouble tonight
I don't want to talk about it anymore
I don't want to have another fight
I don't want to talk I don't want to fight
How wrong can I be before I am right

For the tears that you boo hoo hoo hoo
There can be no defence
You say you'll forgive and forget
But it's only a pretence

Either you can leave the past behind
Or give me something to disconnect my mind
I sleep with my fists clenched tight
When I don't lie awake all night
I guess time gave up the ghost too late
And the balance of our love
Very soon turns to hate

Darling your suspiciousness
Tortures me at night
But I can't excuse the cruel words
That I use whenever we fight

(chorus)

. . .


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