Crawling To The USA

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I thought I would go to the sea and shrink down very tiny
And slide inside the telephone wire that runs under the briny
Till I found there is a way of crawling to the U.S.A.

You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A.

Saw it late one night on a secret channel
It's farther on along the tunnel
It's way beyond the final station
That's the one they never mention

You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A.

You don't have to pay them that much
You had better bring your lunch
It's undercover, around the houses
Up your skirt and down your trousers

You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A.

She said, "I catch you taking liberties and they do not impress me
Attach me to your credit card and then you can undress me
Everybody is on their knees except the Russians and the Chinese

You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A.



Crawling To The USA (Spanish Model) lyrics

Por el mar pensé llegar y hacerme muy pequeño
Por un cable bajo el agua irán todos mis sueños
El camino encontraré, crawling to the U.S.A.

Lejos no te conviene estar
Hay una entrada, hay una sola
Me despido de mis memorias
Crawling to the U.S.A.

De madrugada y en secreto
(Crawling to the U.S.A.)
Por un túnel de concreto
(Crawling to the U.S.A.)
Mil pasos más de lo que dijeron
Ya no se si estoy vivo o muerto

Lejos no te conviene estar
Hay una entrada, hay una sola
Me despido de mis memorias
Crawling to the U.S.A.

Los coyotes del camino
(Crawling to the U.S.A.)
Devorando mi destino
(Crawling to the U.S.A.)
Voy clandestino, entre ciudades
La sonrisa van a robarme

Lejos no te conviene estar
Hay una entrada, hay una sola
Me despido de mis memorias
Crawling to the U.S.A.

Me dijo "no te creas tan especial no vas a impresionarme"
Ponle precio a mi lealtad y puedes desnudarme
De sur al norte de rodillas
Sólo el este los esquiva

Lejos no te conviene estar
Hay una entrada, hay una sola
Me despido de mis memorias
Crawling to the U.S.A.

Crawling to the U.S.A.

Crawling To The USA
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedDecember 1978, Trafalgar Studios, Sydney, Australia
ReleasedOctober 1979
AlbumsThis Year's Model (Rykodisc/Demon reissue), 1993
This Year's Model (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2002
This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition, 2008
CollectionsTaking Liberties, 1980
Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers, 1980
2½ Years, 1993
In Motion Pictures, 2012
SoundtracksAmericathon, 1979
Length2:52

First known performance:
July 21, 1977, Manchester, England
Last known performance:
November 19, 2019, Cincinnati, OH
     (10 known performances)


Alternate versions

Crawling To The USA (Soundcheck 1977)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedAugust 7, 1977, London, England
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2007
AlbumsMy Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition, 2007
Length3:00

Crawling To The USA (Spanish Model Version)
Performed byGian Marco, Nicole Zignago, Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced bySebastian Krys from an original idea by Elvis Costello
Spanish adaptationLuis Mitre & Andrea Sandoval
MusiciansGian Marco - vocals
Nicole Zignago - vocals
Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedDecember 2019, Los Angeles (Gian Marco & Nicole Zignago), December 1978, Trafalgar Studios, Sydney, Australia (Elvis Costello & The Attractions)
ReleasedSeptember 10, 2021
AlbumsSpanish Model, 2021
Length2:47
Americathon: Music From The Original Motion Picture SoundtrackAmericathon album cover large.jpg

Taking LibertiesTL album cover 200.jpg

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

This Year's ModelTYM album cover large.jpg

2½ Years2½ Years album cover.jpg

My Aim Is TrueMAIT UK initial album cover large.jpg

In Motion PicturesIn Motion Pictures album cover.jpg

Spanish ModelSpanish Model album cover.jpg

Covers

Gian Marco y Nicole Zignago Spanish Model 2020 SpotifyVariety.com
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2013 YouTube

Chords

Transcribed by Marika Whaley. Thanks to Bill Nemec for his suggestion on the opening chords.

Opening chords: G (two beats) G7 (four beats)

    C                Am              C               F  C
I thought I would go to the sea and shrink down very tiny
     C                Am                  C              F  C
And slide inside the telephone wire that runs under the briny
F                  Bb    F                     Bb  G
Till I found there is a way of crawling to the U.S.A.

C                  Bb     C
You had better not go too far
F                            Bb    F
There's one way out, there's only one way
C                 Bb        C
Leave your mother and your father
F               Bb  G
Crawling to the U.S.A.

C               Am
Saw it late one night on a secret channel
C                Am
(Crawling to the U.S.A.)
C                 Am
It's farther on along the tunnel
C                Am
(Crawling to the U.S.A.)
F                    Bb     F
It's way beyond the final station
F                    Bb
That's the one they never mention

(same as above)
You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A.

(same as "Saw it late one night..." above)
You don't have to pay them that much
You had better bring your lunch
It's undercover, around the houses
Up your skirt and down your trousers

You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A.

(same as first verse above)
She said, "I catch you taking liberties and they do not impress me
Attach me to your credit card and then you can undress me
Everybody is on their knees except the Russians and the Chinese

You had better not go too far
There's one way out, there's only one way
Leave your mother and your father
Crawling to the U.S.A. 

fade out
C               Am
Crawling to the U.S.A.

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