Jelly Roll

Lyrics

We wear disguises, corruptions and shames

Acting like fugitives assuming new names

So this is a joke with a curse in the middle

I'm going back to talking in riddles

I feel your charms and spells

So where do you suppose we get to cast off all these charlatan clothes

Poor man ??? no respectable blushes

???

All of those ??? talk down to

They speak up don't mutter

Or utter so low that your tongue reaches into the gutter

Or better still let silence prevail

There was a persuasion of diamonds, the wisdom of pearls

The explosion of garlands over the peals of bells

Do you know what I know

Do you know what I've seen

The sky broken open and it pours down the old chimney(?)

I feel your charms and spells

So where do you suppose we get to cast off all these charlatan clothes

Where do you suppose

Everybody knows

That there will come a time when we will cast off these charlatan clothes

Credits

• Written by: Charles Mingus and Elvis Costello

Performances

At the suggestion of Charles Mingus' widow Sue, Elvis wrote lyrics for six Mingus songs originally intended as instrumentals. Elvis has performed Jelly Roll in concert with The Charles Mingus Orchestra (the first performance was 2001-09-27 in Los Angeles), but a version with Elvis' lyrics has yet to be released officially.

Covers

• This section is incomplete.

Bootlegs

• Beacon Theatre 2001