ALBUM: Brutal Youth
Tutte le canzoni di  Elvis Costello

This is about Mr. Gorbachev's visit to Britain asking for money. EC saw John
Major & Gorbachev at the opera (Cinderella) in London one night. -NME Feb-94]

"What is your destiny?" the policewoman said
The word that she wanted was 'destination' I'm afraid
This is your future, but this is your fate
Yeah, you're obsolete and they can't afford to educate you

In his bedtime -???- jersey ???
Bringing up some fantasy talk
Give me strength or give me mercy
Life intimidates art

Chorus:
Give me strength or give me mercy
Don't let me lose heart
>From [breach/rich/rage?] to anesthesia ???
20% amnesia

Well you pass out on the sofa
Just as you're spotted by a drunken oaf
This is all your glorious country thinks of your life
Strip Jack naked with a Stanley knife

So the -???- went home again ???
'Cause she couldn't find forgiveness
They made a fist of the hand of friendship
That is only business

-chorus-

The wine you drank has never seen a grape
And now your sci-fi suit has lost its shape
But its a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth, sometimes it delays it

Think back, think back, if you still can
When the trompet sounded and the world began
Somebody said we must have won
So they started burying the bogie man

Mr. Gorbachev came cap in hand
>From a bankrupt land to a bankrupt land
Mr. Gorbachev and some other fellers
Were taken to a show called Cinderella
It wasn't an accident, it wasn't a mystery
It was calculated and the rest is history

You don't have to listen to me
That's the triumph of free will
There are promises to break
And dreams to kill

-chorus