...Dust

Lyrics

If only dust could talk

What would we hear it say?

Before it's brushed aside

Just as it's swept away

It's just the evidence

It's of no consequence

It's only flesh and bone

Why don't we leave it alone?

If only dust could gather into lines of chalk

Around a silhouette detective fiction walks

For it's the only witness that can testify

Can I spit out the truth?

Or would you rather just swallow a lie?

Why did they dam the land?

How did they flood the plain?

Did they erase the name?

And wipe away the stain

You kept your mouth well shut

Appeared to turn your coat

Now there's a name for you but it's stuck in my throat

If dust could only mutter

Or in laughter trill

If it could warn and whisper from the windowsill

But it's the only witness that can testify

Can I split out the truth?

Or would you rather just swallow a lie?

Here come the juggernaut

Here come The Poisoners

They choke the life and land

And rob the joy from us

Why do they taste of sugar?

Oh, when they're made of money

Here come the Lamb of God

And the butcher's boy, Sonny

If dust could only gather in the needle track

Then it would skip a beat and it would jump right back

If dust could only gather in a needle track

Then it would skip a beat

And all the sense I lack

Credits

• Written by: Elvis Costello
• Produced by: Elvis Costello, Ciaran Cahill, Leo Pearson and Kieran Lynch (collectively as The Imposter)
• Horn Arrangement by: Elvis Costello
• Musicians:

Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar and drum machine

Davey Faragher - bass

Steve Nieve - vibraphone

Pete Thomas - drums and shaker

Leo Pearson - frog guiro

Ku-umba Frank Lacy - flugelhorn

Curtis Fowlkes - trombone

Jay Rodriguez - tenor saxophone

Roy Nathanson - alto saxophone

Discography

Albums:

• When I Was Cruel, 2002

• This section may be incomplete.

Singles:

• This section may be incomplete.

Collections:

• Album Name, Year
• This section may be incomplete.

Alternate Versions:

• Dust (Live In Melbourne)

Cruel Smile, 2002

• This section may be incomplete.

Soundtracks:

• none

Various Artists collections:

• none

Covers

Recorded by:

• none
• This section may be incomplete.

Performed by:

• none
• This section may be incomplete.

Bootlegs

• This section is incomplete.