This Sad Burlesque

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I write in hope by the time you get this letter
We may live to see a change for the better
Or are we so devoted to these wretched selfish motives?
When the cold facts and figures all add up
They cannot contradict this sad burlesque

This sad burlesque
With miserable failures making entertainment of our fate
Laughter cannot dignify or elevate this sad burlesque

Now can they recall being young and idealistic
Before wading knee-deep in hogwash and arithmetic?
The pitying smirk
The argument that runs like clockwork
Will run down eventually and splutter to a stop

P.S. Well, by now you know the worst of it
And we've heard all the alibis that they've rehearsed
The smug predictions
If it's not a contradiction
Please have faith in human nature
And have mercy on the creatures in this sad burlesque

This sad burlesque
With miserable failures making entertainment of our fate
Laughter cannot dignify or elevate this sad burlesque

This Sad Burlesque
Words byDeclan MacManus
Music byPaul Cassidy
Performed byElvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet
Produced byKevin Killen, Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet
MusiciansElvis Costello - voice
Michael Thomas - violin
Ian Belton - violin
Paul Cassidy - viola
Jacqueline Thomas - violoncello
RecordedSeptember 14-October 1, 1992, Church Studios, London
ReleasedJanuary 15, 1993
AlbumsThe Juliet Letters, 1993
SinglesJacksons, Monk And Rowe, 1993
PromosExcerpts From The Juliet Letters, 1993
Either Side Of The Same Town Sampler, 2010
Length2:46

First known performance:
July 1, 1992, London, England
Last known performance:
January 20, 2006, Sydney, Australia
     (20 known performances)


The Juliet LettersTJL album cover large.jpg

Excerpts From The Juliet LettersExcerpts From The Juliet Letters promo cover.jpg

Jacksons, Monk And Rowe singleJacksons, Monk And Rowe CD single front insert.jpg

Covers

Jon Boden and the Sacconi Quartet performed live, September 2018, CLF Art Cafe, London, England, 2018 brownpapertickets.com Wikipedia
Felipe Cadenasso and Cuarteto Filarmónico performed live, July and August 2012, Santiago, Chile 2012 YouTubeinfoProgrammeFelipe Cadenasso
Fear No Music performed live 12 April 2011 Atlantic Theatre, Portland, Oregon 2011 Fearnomusic.org
Diana Gonnissen and I Musici Brucellensis performed live, January 2011 and March 2011, Brussels and Etterbeek, Belgium 2011 infoDiana GonnissenYouTube
Katarzyna Groniec Listy Julii 2009 KatarzynaGroniec.pl
Tini Kainrath and StringFizz The Juliet Letters 2005 Tini KainrathStringfizz
Kerry-Anne Kutz The Juliet Letters 2006 AllMusicAmazon.com
Vittorio Matteucci and Quartetto Paul Klee Lettere a Giulietta 2018 AmazonAmazon.ukLisolachenoncera.it
Vittorio Matteucci and Quartetto Paul Klee performed live, October 2009, Centro Culturale Altinate - San Gaetano, Padova, Italy 2009 infoVittorio MatteucciQuartetto Paul Klee
Michelle Murray and David Murray The Juliet Letters 2006 AllMusicAmazon.com
The New Costellas performed live, February 2015, Pelícano Músicafé, Cádiz, Spain 2015 YouTubeFacebook page
Tom Norris Tom Norris sings Elvis Costello and Brodsky Quartet's Juliet Letters 2011 wikipediasoundcloud.com
Drew Sarich and The Dead Poet Quartet performed live, 13 January 2011, The Oval, Salzburg, Austria 2011 YouTubewikipedia
Sol String Quartet with Paul Villaluz performed live, 6 December 2008, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas 2008 YouTubeLas Vegas Sun review

Internal links

External links