Featured In
Top Songs By Elvis Costello
Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
D.P.A. MAC MANUS
Vocals
Roger Lewis
Baritone Saxophone
Willie Green
Drums
Marc Ribot
Guitar
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Horn
Kirk Joseph
Horn
Benmont Tench
Keyboards
Michael Blair
Percussion
Kevin Harris
Tenor Saxophone
Efrem P. Towns
Trumpet
Gregory Davis
Trumpet
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
D.P.A. MAC MANUS
Composer
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Elvis Costello
Producer
Mike Ross
Assistant Engineer
Dave Farrell
Assistant Engineer
John Grimes
Assistant Engineer
Lance Phillips
Assistant Engineer
Stacey Baird
Assistant Engineer
Kevin Killen
Mixing Engineer
T Bone Burnett
Producer
Lyrics
With their cardboard hands by their sides
Here's a naked man and lady
And they're yours to cut out and keep
So you can dress them up, maybe
And they don't know just who they are
Or who they're supposed to be
You can make them happy or sad
Or assume their identity
So here they are in the departure lounge
It's the 'Gateway to the East'
She is just another mail-order bride
She doesn't know he's a kinky beast
Now he gives her a picture of Maradona and child
She wants to roll and rock
As he spills his beer over her
Bumps and he grinds, as he repeats, "Bang-Cock"
There must be something that is better than this
It starts with a slap and ends with a kiss
Begins with you bawling and it ends up in tears
Oh, my little one, take that chewing gum out of your ears
She might as well be in the jungle
She might as well be on the moon
He's away on a business trip in Dusseldorf
But she's becoming immune
To the lack of glamor and danger
In a West-German city today
The nearest she comes to the 'Dynasty' like he promised her
Is a Chinese take-away
Ah, there must be something that is better than this
It starts with a slap and ends up with a kiss
Begins with you bawling and it ends up in tears
Oh, my little one, take that chewing gum out of your ears
Though he only taught her three little words
It doesn't matter if they're dirty or clean
He can only control what they look like
He can never possess what they mean
So he wants to whisper in her ear
All the shrinking nothingness
Something always comes between them
I wonder if you can guess
There must be something that is better than this
It starts with a slap and ends up with a kiss
Begins with you bawling and it ends up in tears
Oh, my little one, take that chewing gum out of your ears
Writer(s): Elvis Costello
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