Charm School

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Men made out of monkeys
Men made into mice
Happy days are here again
And all the drinks half price
A girl with a trick and a man with a calling

Trying to make a living out of your downfalling
Trying to make a living out of anything at all
Didn't they teach you anything except how to be cruel
In that charm school

You and I as lovers
Were nothing but a farce
Trying to make a silk purse
Out of a sow's arse
Saying "Why don't you watch me"
Hardly speaking sotto voce

Trying to make a living out of your downfalling
Trying to make a living out of anything at all
Didn't they teach you anything except how to be cruel
In that charm school

I've got a notion
I've got an angle
Take your dreams and promises
And put them through the mangle
They say it's hell to finance too
And I just want to romance you

In this perpetual nightclub
I'll be yours eternal
Though the hours are long
And the noise infernal
Just one shameful act or sometimes two
We make believe we're making do

Trying to make a living out of your downfalling
Trying to make a living out of anything at all
Didn't they teach you anything except how to be cruel
In that charm school

Didn't they teach you anything except how to be cruel
In that charm school, in that charm school

Charm School
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions (with Afrodiziak)
Produced byClive Langer & Alan Winstanley
String arrangementDavid Bedford
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Caron Wheeler - backing vocals
Claudia Fontaine - backing vocals
RecordedJanuary-April 1983, AIR Studios, London
ReleasedAugust 5, 1983
AlbumsPunch The Clock, 1983
Length3:52

First known performance:
March 9, 1983, Casablanca (Swedish TV)
Last known performance:
November 10, 2019, St. Petersburg, FL
     (64 known performances)


Alternate versions

Charm School (Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, all instruments
Recordedca. 1982-1983, Elvis' home
ReleasedJuly 28, 2003
AlbumsPunch The Clock (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
Length2:14
Punch The ClockPunch The Clock Rhino album cover.jpg

Covers

Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2018 YouTube

Internal links

External links