Elvis Costello

a striking or unlikely combination of events

He was late this time last week

Who can she turn to when the chance of coincidence is slim

'Cause the baby isn't old enought to speak

weaken; destroy property or hinder normal operations

And when the phone rang only once she took a dreadful fright

Little things just seem to undermine her confidence in him

He was late this time last week

disrespectful; marked by casual disrespect

I shed a single tear for my predicament

Don't act surprised or insolent

It's the way you make me feel, magnificent hurt

covering; cover with veneer

Or pay the price

Peel off your skin like a thin veneer

If something tells you something that I didn't hear from you

unimportant; lacking worth or importance

For a career on the stage

These little things seem inconsequential

Except to Hetty O'Hara Confidential

bargain; discuss the terms of an arrangement

Good Friday arrived, the sky darkened on time

'Til he almost began to negotiate

She held his head like a baby and said

opposite to; very opposed in nature or character or purpose

You'll come in a sweetheart and you'll go out a stranger

Well you try to love her but she's so contrary

Like a chainsaw running through a dictionary

seeming; clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

And in turn they made you miserable

To be the heir apparent to the kingdom of the invisible

So you knock the kids about a bit, because they've got your name

award; a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

You were lost in the smokescreens of cavalcades

And accolades instead of traitor's pay

Where will you find the courage to say

ageless; continuing forever or indefinitely

In one of those reversed earthquakes

Trapped in the House of the Perpetual Succour where

Bitterness always ends so pitifully

false name; a name that has been assumed temporarily

Alibis I must protect

An alias you won't detect

I won't place the blame

comfort; give moral or emotional strength to

Sometimes i pretend you'll come back again

And you'll console the heart you stole

Have pity on the man

government; the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

Will the red head in my arms go up in flames?

Or dissolve mighty regimes with her screams

Or so it seems

excite; gather

Wait until they've got you running

To the night rally, night rally, night rally

Everybody's singing with their hand on their heart

section; (grammar) an expression including a subject and predicate

Tell me who's been taken in

Oh, you talk about the new boss automatic clause

But of course they make it all up for you

make fun; treat with contempt

And the face of the clock

Seemed to merrily mock

These five minutes with you

reveal; make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few

He weeps at the blows

But down in a location that we cannot disclose

He turns the dial slowly

unimportant; (informal) small and of little importance

Turn up the volume just to turn it down

The trivial secrets buried with the profound

It's enough to put a church underground

assume; take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

Dig the dirt up from the tomb

Dr. Watson, I presume

♪

complaint; express grief verbally

One lonely bird is singing

Lower the hood hung of his lament

Dash him down on cold cement

ban; forbid the public distribution of ( a movie or a newspaper)

I saw through your pretense but in my defense

There are a few events I think will spare the censor

Sulky girl