Damnation's Cellar

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Did anybody notice, over marmalade and eggs
In between the Princess' legs
What with wars and floods and beggars
Not to mention stocks and shares
Well, if you have a moment to spare
Can you write and reassure me that I have seen
That they're constructing a time machine
There will be no need for the obituary pages
We can have any hero from the bygone ages
'Til the truth emerges, an argument rages

The major and the minor turn from tallow into tar
Should we leave them in their place down in damnation's cellar?

When any form of deity that you might enjoy
Can be conjured with a test-tube and a flame
If it's out there then science can explain it
Or at least remove the blame
And if there is anyone you'd like to see again
Then speak up quickly
Send us back Da Vinci then we don't have to ponder
The maddening smile of "La Giaconda"
The critics say Nijinsky, the dancer, of course
While the punters would probably prefer the horse
You'll find it's quicker than history, cheaper than divorce

The major and the minor turn from tallow into tar
Should we leave them in their place down in damnation's cellar?

Bring back Liberace or Ollie and Stan
Shakespeare will have to wait his turn
Elvis Presley and Puccini shall return
I suppose we live and learn
Though it's hard to believe as we cheerfully burn
It's curious
Some will call for justice, there are murders to solve
What about Hitler? Or at least Lee Harvey Oswald
Give us this day and everything we squander
Anyone beautiful, somebody blonder
They'll never please mankind, so lie back and enjoy it
Stop press: They've just decided to destroy it

The major and the minor turn from tallow into tar
Should we leave them in their place down in damnation's cellar?

Damnation's Cellar
Words byDeclan MacManus
Music byDeclan MacManus
Performed byElvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet
Produced byKevin Killen, Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet
MusiciansElvis Costello - voice
Michael Thomas - violin
Ian Belton - violin
Paul Cassidy - viola
Jacqueline Thomas - violoncello
RecordedSeptember 14-October 1, 1992, Church Studios, London
ReleasedJanuary 15, 1993
AlbumsThe Juliet Letters, 1993
PromosExcerpts From The Juliet Letters, 1993
Length3:25

First known performance:
July 1, 1992, London, England
Last known performance:
January 28, 1995, Guadalajara, Spain
     (17 known performances)


The Juliet LettersTJL album cover large.jpg

Excerpts From The Juliet LettersExcerpts From The Juliet Letters promo cover.jpg

Covers

Jon Boden and the Sacconi Quartet performed live, September 2018, CLF Art Cafe, London, England, 2018 brownpapertickets.com Wikipedia
Felipe Cadenasso and Cuarteto Filarmónico performed live, July and August 2012, Santiago, Chile 2012 YouTubeinfoProgrammeFelipe Cadenasso
D@morchestra performed live, 18 May 2008, - info needed 2008 You Tubewebsite
Letizia Dei and Quartetto Aphrodite performed live, 31 January 2015, Sala Vanni, Florence, Italy 2015 YouTubewebsite
Fear No Music performed live 12 April 2011 Atlantic Theatre, Portland, Oregon 2011 Fearnomusic.org
Diana Gonnissen and I Musici Brucellensis performed live, January 2011 and March 2011, Brussels and Etterbeek, Belgium 2011 infoDiana GonnissenI Musici Brucellensis
Katarzyna Groniec Listy Julii 2009 KatarzynaGroniec.pl
Tini Kainrath and StringFizz The Juliet Letters 2005 Tini KainrathStringfizz
Ines Agnes Krautwurst, Stephan König performed live, April, 2009, Leipzig, Germany 2009 YouTubeinfo
Kerry-Anne Kutz The Juliet Letters 2006 AllMusicAmazon.com
Vittorio Matteucci and Quartetto Paul Klee Lettere a Giulietta 2018 AmazonAmazon.ukLisolachenoncera.it
Vittorio Matteucci and Quartetto Paul Klee performed live, October 2009, Centro Culturale Altinate - San Gaetano, Padova, Italy 2009 infoVittorio MatteucciQuartetto Paul Klee
Michelle Murray and David Murray The Juliet Letters 2006 AllMusicAmazon.com
The New Costellas performed live, February 2015, Pelícano Músicafé, Cádiz, Spain 2015 VimeoYouTubeFacebook page
Tom Norris Tom Norris sings Elvis Costello and Brodsky Quartet's Juliet Letters 2011 wikipediasoundcloud.com
Drew Sarich and The Dead Poet Quartet performed live, 13 January 2011, The Oval, Salzburg, Austria 2011 YouTubewikipedia
Tomer Sharon & the Israel Contemporary String Quartet performed live, 18-21 February 2007, Jewish Community Centre, Vancouver, Canada 2007 websiteYouTubeimdb.com
Sol String Quartet and Paul Villaluz performed live, 6 December 2008, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas 2008 YouTubeLas Vegas Sun review
Dean Stevenson and The Arco Set Live performances in Australia, October 2015 and Tasmania. 2015 YouTubeDean Stevensoninfo

Internal links

External links