Radio Silence

Lyrics

Signal fading, listen to what I'm saying

Testing, testing

This better be worth all of the breath I'm wasting

Maintaining radio silence from now on

Barricaded in the talk radio station

Hostage taken

The red "On-Air" light shines on

Something cheaper that passes for free speech will have to do

Hear him coming through loud and clear

He's trickling in your ear

He'll tell you anything you want to hear

Tape starts running

He's going to tell you something

String starts strumming

Another humdrum conundrum

Signing off now

Maintaining radio silence from now on

But there's one thing I should have said

"The hostage will end up dead"

It's just a comedy

The hostage is me

So pay the ransom

Beyond the run-out grove

And get my wife down here

A helicopter on the roof

No police marksman

Maintaining radio silence from now on

Mystery voices

Drowned out by too much choice

That's not to mention

The sad waste of this wonderful invention

Maintaining radio silence from now on

Libraries filled up with failed ideas

There's nothing more for me there

I trust in tender ink and gentle airs

Do those drug dealer still polish women made of wax?

Gangsters and world leaders

Require the same protection from attack

From a distance it's hard to tell the difference

Between a king and jack

Between a poet and hack

Maintaining radio silence from now on

Credits

• Written by: Elvis Costello
• Produced by: Elvis Costello, Ciaran Cahill, Leo Pearson and Kieran Lynch (collectively as The Imposter)
• Musicians:

Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar, bass, grand piano, drum machine and guitar loops

Steve Nieve - electric keyboard

Discography

Albums:

• When I Was Cruel, 2002

• This section may be incomplete.

Singles:

• This section may be incomplete.

Collections:

• Album Name, Year
• This section may be incomplete.

Alternate Versions:

• This section may be incomplete.

Soundtracks:

• none

Various Artists collections:

• none

Covers

Recorded by:

• none
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Performed by:

• none
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Bootlegs

• This section is incomplete.