The Town Where Time Stood Still

Lyrics

I made my selection from the lonely hit parade

In the town where time stood still

I was feeling very little pain

Until some joker played "Almost Persuaded"

Now every girl I see

Looks so much prettier to me

My faithfulness has faded

And their looks are sharp as daggers

And the conversation heated

Since the boys have all been laid off

And are walking round defeated

In the town where time stood still

Somebody in charge must have pretended

The future's been suspended

And I say I don't want trouble

But I find myself back in it

In the town where time stood still

I am the man of the minute

Teach me to say "I love you"

I'll teach you to say "You will do"

In the town where time stood still

Or maybe I can find a little girl

To wind me up with all the usual skills

There's nothing else to do but rearrange somebody's features

And trap your figures in the till

The bar is full of girls just like the creature with the curse

And the food is just like cabaret and vice versa

In the town where time stood still

Just as my heart went down sinking

I found the town was shrinking

And suddenly I saw her through the smoke and empty beers

In the town where time stood still

She might have well have waited years

Now I suppose we did some things we used to do

But no amount of darkness could ever turn her into you

And so I woke up in the town where time stood still

With a headache and a heartache

And a handful of pills

A welcome mat, a scandal rag and unpaid bills

With her hand inside her handbag

The sign says "please wait to be seated"

I only want a cup of coffee

I know you can't have your cake and eat it

In the town where time stood still

Did you hear the news today?

It's all bad, did I tell you how I left her so sad?

With a headache and a heartache

And an hour or two to kill

I only wish we were together

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

Credits

• Written by: Elvis Costello
• Produced by: Elvis Costello (Punch The Clock (Deluxe Edition) version); Geoff Emerick (Imperial Bedroom (Deluxe Edition) version); none credited (Goodbye Cruel World (Deluxe Edition) version)
• Musicians:

Punch The Clock (Deluxe Edition) version:

Elvis Costello - vocals, everything but the drum loop

Pete Thomas - drum loop

Imperial Bedroom (Deluxe Edition) version:

Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar

Steve Nieve: keyboards

Bruce Thomas: bass

Pete Thomas: drums

Goodbye Cruel World (Deluxe Edition) version:

Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar

Discography

Albums:

• Punch The Clock (reissue), Rykodisc/Demon, 1994
• Punch The Clock (Deluxe Edition), Rhino/Edsel, 2003

Singles:

• none

Collections:

• none

Soundtracks:

• none

Various Artists collections:

• none

Alternate versions:

• The Town Where Time Stood Still (Alternate Version)

Imperial Bedroom (Deluxe Edition), Rhino/Edsel, 2002

• The Town Where Time Stood Still (Demo)

Goodbye Cruel World (Deluxe Edition), Rhino/Edsel, 2004

Covers

Recorded by:

• none

Performed by:

• none

Bootlegs

• This section is incomplete.