The Invisible Man

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I was committed to life and then commuted to the outskirts
With all the love in the world
Living for thirty minutes at a time with a break in the middle for adverts
But it's a wonderful world within these cinema walls
Where a shower of affection becomes Niagara Falls
And you wish she could step down from the screen to your seat in the stalls

But if stars are only painted on the ceiling above
Then who can you turn to and who do you love
I want to get out while I still can
I want to be like Harry Houdini
Now I'm the invisible man

My head is spinning 'round faster and faster
Here I stand on the edge of disaster
I'm shattered like a piece of crystal, porcelain or alabaster

'Cos if stars are only painted on the ceiling above
Then who can you turn to and who do you love
I want to get out while I still can

Crowds surround loudspeakers hanging from the lampposts
Listening to the murder mystery
Meanwhile someone's hiding in the classroom
Forging the books of history
Never mind there's a good film showing tonight
Where they hang everybody who can read or write
Oh, that could never happen here, but then again it might

'Cos if stars are only painted on the ceiling above
Then who can you turn to and who do you love
I want to get out while I still can
I want to be like Harry Houdini
Now I'm the invisible man

And you won't see me

The Invisible Man
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions (with The TKO Horns)
Produced byClive Langer & Alan Winstanley
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Jim Paterson - trombone
Jeff Blythe - alto saxophone
Paul Speare - tenor saxophone
Dave Plews - trumpet
RecordedJanuary-April 1983, AIR Studios, London
ReleasedAugust 5, 1983
AlbumsPunch The Clock, 1983
PromosWhy Study?, 1983
Punch The Clock, Trust & Get Happy!! Sampler, 2003
Length3:04

First known performance:
March 9, 1983, Casablanca (Swedish TV)
Last known performance:
June 13, 2013, Blackpool, England
     (45 known performances)


Alternate versions

The Invisible Man (Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, all instruments
Recordedca. 1982-1983, Elvis' home
ReleasedJuly 28, 2003
AlbumsPunch The Clock (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
Length2:10
Punch The ClockPunch The Clock Rhino album cover.jpg

Covers

Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2018 YouTube

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External links