I'll Wear It Proudly

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I hate these flaming curtains they're not the color of your hair
I hate these striplights they're not so undoing as your stare
I hate the buttons on your shirt when all I wanna do is tear
I hate this bloody big bed of mine when you're not here

Chorus:
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly

Well you seem to be shivering dear and the room is awfully warm
In the white and scarlet billows that subside beyond the storm
You have this expression dear no words could take its place
And I wear it like a badge that you put all over my face

(Chorus)

I'll wear it proudly through the dives and the dancehalls
If you'll wear it proudly through the snakepits and catcalls
Like a fifteen year old kid wears a vampire kiss
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed

Were your arms and legs wrapped round more than my memory tonight
When the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright
But in shameless moments you made more of me than just a mess
And a handful of eagerness says "What do you suggest?"

(Chorus)

I'll Wear It Proudly
Written byDeclan MacManus
Performed byThe Costello Show
Produced byJ. Henry (T-Bone) Burnett & Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus with Larry Kalman Hirsch
MusiciansThe Little Hands Of Concrete - vocals, acoustic guitar
Jerry Scheff - electric bass
Jim Keltner - brushes & drums
Mitchell Froom - Hammond organ
RecordedJuly-August 1985, Ocean Way and/or Sunset Sound and/or Sound Factory, Los Angeles
ReleasedFebruary 21, 1986
AlbumsKing Of America, 1986
CollectionsGirls Girls Girls, 1989 (vinyl only)
Length4:19

First known performance:
April 25, 1985, London, England
Last known performance:
February 14, 2023, New York, NY
     (88 known performances)


Alternate versions

I'll Wear It Proudly (Solo Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
RecordedApril 15, 1985, Red Bus Studios, London
ReleasedApril 25, 2005
AlbumsKing Of America (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2005
Length3:23

King Of America1986 King Of America Album.jpg

Girls Girls GirlsGGG album cover 300.jpg

Covers

Ross Farrelly performed live, 2015-04-09, Cafe Sessions, Chapter 1 Cafe, Cavan, Ireland 2015 YouTubeAllMusicWikipedia
My Darling Clementine & Steve Nieve My Darling Clementine: Country Darkness Vol. 3 2020 mydarlingclementinemusic.co.uk
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2019 YouTube
Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood performed live, 1999-06-13, Tibetan Freedom Concert, Amsterdam 1999 archive.orgYouTuberadiohead1.tripod.com

Chords

   D                                           A
I hate these flaming curtains they're not the color of your hair
   A7                                      D
I hate these striplights they're not so undoing as your stare
   D                                  D7                 G
I hate the buttons on your shirt when all I wanna do is tear
   G                                                A
I hate this bloody big bed of mine when you're not here

[Chorus]:
        D                               e  f#   G
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
     D                           A
And nail my feet up where my head should be
         D                                e     f#  G
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
     D                                A             G
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly

     D                                 A
You seem to be shivering dear and the room is awfully warm
         A7                               D
In the white and scarlet billows that subside beyond the storm
 D                                D7                    G
You have this expression dear no words could take its place
       G                                             A
And I wear it like a badge that you put all over my face

[Chorus]

A                                 G             D
I'll wear it proudly through the dives and the dancehalls
    A                                   G            D
If you'll wear it proudly through the snakepits and catcalls
        A                            G       D
Like a fifteen year old kid wears a vampire kiss
        G 
If you don't know what is wrong with me 
                            A
Then you don't know you've missed

          D                                         A
Were your arms and legs wrapped round more than my memory tonight
          A7                                       D      
When the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright
         D                                D7              G
But in shameless moments you made more of me than just a mess
       G                                         A
And a handful of eagerness says "What do you suggest?"

[Chorus]

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