This Is Hell

Lyrics

This is hell, this is hell I am sorry to tell you

It never gets better or worse

But you'll get used to it after a spell

For heaven is hell in reverse

The bruiser spun a hula hoop while all the barmen preen and pout

The neon "i" of nightclub flickers on and off and finally blew out

The irritating jingle of the belly-dancing phony Turkish girls

The eerie glare of ultra violet perfect dental work

This is hell I am sorry to tell you

It never gets better or worse (it never gets better or worse)

But you'll get used to it after a spell

For heaven is hell in reverse

The failed Don Juan in the big bow-tie is very sorry that he spoke

For he's mislaid his punchline more than halfway through a very tasteless joke

The fräulein caught him peeking down her gown

He's yelling in her ear

And all at once the music stopped as he was intimately bellowing "My dear..."

This is hell, this is hell I am sorry to tell you

It never gets better or worse (it never gets better or worse)

But you'll get used to it after a spell

For heaven is hell in reverse

The shirt you wore with courage and the violent nylon suit

Reappear upon your back and undermine the polished line you try to shoot

It's not the torment of the flames that finally see your flesh corrupted

It's the small humiliations that your memory piles up

This is hell, this is hell, this is hell, this is hell

Hell

"My Favourite Things" are playing again and again

But it's by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane

Endless balmy breezes and perfect sunsets framed

Vintage wine for breakfast and naked starlets floating in Champagne

All the passions of your youth are tranquillised and tamed

You may think it looks familiar, though you may know it by another name

This is hell (this is hell), this is hell (this is hell) I am sorry to tell you

It never gets better or worse (it never gets better or worse)

But you'll get used to it after a spell

For heaven is hell in reverse

This is hell, this is hell

Credits

• Written by: D.P.A. MacManus
• Produced by: Mitchell Froom and Elvis Costello
• Musicians:

Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar

Pete Thomas - drums, percussion section

Steve Nieve - piano, organ, harmonium

Bruce Thomas - bass

Discography

Albums:

• Brutal Youth, 1994
• Brutal Youth (Deluxe Edition), Rhino, 2002
• This section may be incomplete.

Singles:

• This section may be incomplete.

Collections:

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

Alternate Versions:

• This Is Hell (Church Studios version)

Brutal Youth (Deluxe Edition), Rhino, 2002

• This section may be incomplete.

Soundtracks:

• none

Various Artists collections:

• none

Covers

Recorded by:

• none
• This section may be incomplete.

Performed by:

• none
• This section may be incomplete.

Bootlegs

• This section is incomplete.