Crimes Of Paris

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I thought it was you with your optimist's view of the clock
And how it's always another day
Just after twelve o'clock's struck
Said "Now I only want you so I don't have to promise"
But tiny children in grown-up clothes whispered all the Crimes of Paris

Chorus:
You're not the girl next door or a girl from France
Or the cigarette-girl in the sizzle hot-pants
All the words of love seem cruel and crass
When you're tough and transparent as armoured glass
You're everywhere girl in an everyday mess
Who'll pay for the Crimes of Paris

I heard that you fell for the "Hell or to Hammersmith Blues"
In the tiny torn up pieces of his mind, he's irresistible too
It's hard to say now if he's only stupid or is smart
As he crawled through the door
And poured out more of his creeping-Jesus heart

(Chorus)

And it's all here and now
She hits him with that paper-weight Eiffel Tower
And I tried to hold on to you, but I don't know how
And I find it hard to swallow good advice
Like going down three times to only come up twice
Come up twice

She's so convenient, he's always stiff as hair-lacquer
It's hard to discover now he's in love with her
It was her way of getting her own back
He never did anything she couldn't do on her own
You're as good as your word and that's no good to her
You'd better leave that kitten alone

(Chorus)

Crimes Of Paris
Written byDeclan MacManus
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe with Colin Fairley
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Cait O'Riordan - vocals
RecordedMarch-May 1986, Olympic Studios, London
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1986
AlbumsBlood & Chocolate, 1986
CollectionsGirls Girls Girls (cassette), 1989
Length4:18

First known performance:
October 5, 1986, Los Angeles, CA
Last known performance:
February 14, 2023, New York, NY
     (16 known performances)


Alternate versions

Crimes Of Paris (Electric Version)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe with Colin Fairley
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedApril 7, 1986, Olympic Studios, London
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2002
AlbumsBlood & Chocolate (Rhino/Edsel edition), 2002
Length4:35
Blood & ChocolateBAC album cover large.jpg

Girls Girls GirlsGGG album cover 300.jpg

Covers

Andy Reed Oddities & Entities 2014 BandcampDiscogsYouTube
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2019 YouTube
Thom Yorke performed during soundcheck info needed

Internal links

External links