I exit through the spotlight glare
I stepped out into thin air
Into a perfume so rarefied
Here comes the bride
Not quite aside, they snide, she's number four
There's number three just by the door
Those in the know, don't even flatter her, they go one better
She was selling speedboats in a trade show when he met her
Look at her now
She's starting to yawn
She looks like she was born to it
But it was so much easier
When I was cruel
She reaches out her arms to me
Imploring another melody
So she can dance her husband out on the floor
The captains of industry just
Lie there where they fall
In eau-de-nil and pale carnation creation
A satin sash and velvet elevation
She straightens the tipsy head-dress of her spouse
While hers recalls a honey house
There'll be no sorrows left to drown
Early in the morning in your evening gown
But it was so much easier
When I was cruel
The entrance hall was arranged
With hostesses and ushers
Who turned out to be the younger wives
Nursing schoolgirl crushes
Parting the waves of those
Few feint friends
Fingers once offered are now too
Heavy to extend
The ghostly first wife glides up
On stage, whispering to raucous talkers
Spilling family secrets out to
Flunkey's and castrato walkers
See that girl, watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Two newspaper editors like playground sneaks
Running a book on which of them is going to last the week
One of them calls to me and he says, ?I know you
You gave me this tattoo back in '82?
You were a spoilt child then with a record to plug
And I was a shaven headed, seaside thug
Things haven't really changed that much
One of us is still getting paid too much
There are some things I [incomprehensible] report
The memory of his last retort
But it was so much easier
When I was cruel, oh
Look at me now, she's starting to yawn
She looks like she was born to it
Ah, but it was so much easier
When I was cruel
When I Was Cruel [No1 Studio Version]
Elvis Costello
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Lyrics by Elvis Costello
(The Angels Want to Wear My) Red Shoes 13 Steps Lead Down [Demo Version] Accidents Will Happen [Live] Adrian Almost Ideal Eyes [*] Anyone Who Had a Heart Baby Plays Around [*][Demo Version] Big Boys [*][Demo Version] Big Tears [*] Big Tears [Outtake] Black & White World Blame It on Cain [*] Blame It on Cain [Honky Tonk Demo][*] Blame It on Cain [Live] Broken [Home Demo] But Not for Me Cradle Crawling to the USA Crawling to the USA [*] Crying Time Danger Zone Dust [Live in Melbourne] [Live] Dust 2 ... Everyday I Write the Book [Alternate Version][*] Everyday I Write the Book [Extended Mix] Everyday I Write the Book [Instrumental] Fire Suite 1 Fire Suite 3 From Head to Toe [*] Georgie and Her Rival [Home Demo] Girls Talk [Live] Green Shirt [*][Demo Version] Heathen Town [*] Honey Hush [Live] Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over) [Un... I Hear A Melody I Stand Accused [Alternate Version] I Still Have That Other Girl [Live] Illyria [From Mistress Mine][Instrumental] Imagination Is a Powerful Deceiver Jump Up (Honky Tonk Demo) Just About Glad [Bonaparte Rooms Version] King of Confidence [*] Less Than Zero (Dallas Version) Let Them All Talk [Extended Remix] Living in Paradise (Early Version) Living in Paradise [Early Version][*] Love Field [Live] Love Went Mad [*][Demo Version] Man Called Uncle Man Out of Time [DJ Edit] Matter of Time Miracle Man [Live] Motel Matches [Live] Motel Matches [Live] Mr. Feathers My Brave Face My Dark Life [*] My Funny Valentine [*] My Little Red Book Mystery Dance [*] Mystery Dance [Honky Tonk Demo][*] Mystery Dance [Live] Night Time [*] Oh Well Overtu Pads, Paws and Claws [*][Demo Version] Pads, Paws and Claws [Live] Painted from Memory [Live] Peace in Our Time [Demo Version] Pills & Soap Point of No Return [*] Poison Moon [Honky Tonk Demo][*] Pony St. Possession [Live][*] Pouring Water on a Drowning Man [Alternate Version... Prelud Psycho [Live] Psycho [Live][#] Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness [*]... Radio Sweetheart [Live] Radio, Radio [*] Roadette Song [Live][*] Rocking Horse Road [Demo Version] Running Out of Angels [*][Demo Version] She [From Notting Hill] Ship of Fools Shoes Without Heels [*] Sleepless Nights [Live] Smile Smile Song With Rose Spooky Girlfriend [Live at Kfog] Stalin Malone Stalin Malone [Vocal Version][*][Version] Stamping Ground Step Inside Love Sticks and Stones Stranger in the House [BBC Version][*] Stranger in the House [Live] Stranger in the House [Live][*] Suffering Face [*] Sulky Girl [Single Version][Edit] The Dark End of the Street The Element Within Her [*][Demo Version] The Flirting Kind [*] The Flirting Kind [*][Demo Version] The Great Unknown [Demo Version] The Greatest Thing [*][Demo Version] The Only Flame in Town [*][Demo Version] The Only Flame in Town [Alternate Version][Alterna... The Only Flame in Town [Live] The Other Side of Summer [Unplugged Version] The Roadette Song The Town Where Time Stood Still [*] The Town Where Time Stood Still [Demo Version] The Very Thought of You [DVD] This House Is Empty Now [From Notting Hill] This Town Too Far Gone [Lost Session Version] Turning the Town Red [Demo Version] Uncomplicated [Live in Tokyo] [Live] Walking on Thin Ice [*] Watch Your Step [Live][*] Wave a White Flag [Honky Tonk Demo][*] What Do I Do Now? [*] When I Was Cruel No. 2 [Q Awards][Live][Multimedia... Worthless Thing [Live] You Belong to Me [Capital Radio Version][*] You Bowed Down [*][Demo Version] You Stole My Bell [#] You Tripped at Every Step [Church Studios Version] You Want Her Too You Want Her Too [Live]
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