The Miranda Syndrome

Lyrics

She threw good money after bad

She bought a ticket to America, a Coca-Cola and a magazine

But in the final reel she knew she'd see justice

Her brother stayed and played the town

He's holding up a bank like Harpo Marx

He's saying "if I walk away right now these walls will fall down"

Not too many people remember that joke now

But in an office without windows they declared the world was flat

And decided to create a fool for the World would believe that

All for a song and dance and an edible hat

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Won't you come home?

And when the picture house closed down

There was a porno shop, now that is gone

And all the things that once belonged to you belong to everyone

They know the foolish way she looked

They say "why don't you speak the way she spoke?"

That's when I give the punchline to an old national joke:

If you're a police dog, where's your police badge?

And if you're a cowboy, where's your spurs?

If you're an oilman, where's your oil well?

You know, the ones marked "his and hers"

She wasn't the only one fooled by a Hollywood word

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Won't you come home?

And now the weatherman predicts

That if it rains, he'll blow his brains right on the air

So you all decide to tune in, though you don't know if you care

For now the news is just show-biz

They make a trivial case of every curse

And food is just like cabaret, and vice versa

'Cause in an office without windows they declared the world was flat

And decided to create a fool for the World would believe that

All for a song and dance and an edible hat

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Carmen Miranda, won't you come home?

Credits

• Written by: Elvis Costello and Rubén Blades
• Produced by: Tommy LiPuma and Carlos Rios
• Arranged by: Carlos Rios
• Musicians:

Rubén Blades - lead vocal

Elvis Costello - acoustic guitar

Paulinho DaCosta - percussion

Jeff Porcaro - drums

Abraham Laboriel - bass

Alan Pasqua - keyboards, accordion

James Ingram - background vocal

Phillip Ingram - background vocal

Philip Perry - background vocal

Howard Kenney - background vocal

Carlos Rios - background vocal

Discography

• unreleased by Elvis Costello

Covers

Recorded by:

• Rubén Blades, on Nothing But The Truth, 1988
• This section may be incomplete.

Performed by:

• none
• This section may be incomplete.

Bootlegs

• This section is incomplete.