Black And White World

From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

I was looking at the black and white world
It seemed so exciting
If you'd only put me back to back with that girl
When the night's inviting
With just a little lighting
There'll never be days like that again
When I was just a boy and men were men
You never go from moment to moment
You're the living double of a single fiction
You're very colourful with your compliments
As you feel the finger's friction
It's a freeze-frame
Still it's real life
You don't want to look
'Cause you've seen the film and you've read the book

I was looking at the black and white world
Trying to name some pin-up
Those days she was just a beautiful girl
Now she's framed and hung up
I thought she was young
Up until I saw her last night in close detail
Though they all fade away when you're so pale
It's more than just a physical attraction
It starts with a face and ends up a fixation
But you're never gonna feel a fraction
Of the way it used to work on your imagination
When you were looking at the black and white world...

Black And White World
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedOctober 1979, Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands and/or Eden Studios, London
ReleasedFebruary 1980
AlbumsGet Happy!!, 1980
CollectionsGirls Girls Girls, 1989
PromosGet Happy!! (Promo Album), 1980
Length1:55

First known performance:
February 29, 1980, Norwich, England
Last known performance:
February 13, 2023, New York, NY
     (19 known performances)


Eye.jpg
“A view from a place in the stalls. I think there's a girl somewhere in the picture.” Girls Girls Girls liner notes, 1989.

Alternate versions

Black And White World (Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, all instruments
Recorded1979, Archipelago Studios, London
ReleasedNovember 1980
AlbumsTaking Liberties, 1980
Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers, 1980
Get Happy!! (Rykodisc/Demon reissue), 1994
Get Happy!! (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
PromosTen Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers promo, 1980
Length1:49

Get Happy!!GH album cover large.jpg

Taking LibertiesTL album cover 200.jpg

Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers10BM album cover 280.jpg

Girls Girls GirlsGGG album cover 300.jpg

Covers

Bonnie Brett The Elvis Costello Songbook 2003
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2014 YouTube 

Internal links

External links