Beyond Belief

History repeats the old conceits The glib replies, the same defeats Keep your finger on important issues With crocodile tears and a pocketful of tissues I'm just the oily slick On the windup world of the nervous tick In a very fashionable hovel I hang around dying to be tortured You'll never be alone in the bone orchard This battle with the bottle is nothing so novel So in this almost empty gin palace Through a two-way looking glass You see your Alice You know she has no sense For all your jealousy In a sense she still smiles very sweetly Charged with insults and flattery Her body moves with malice Do you have to be so cruel to be callous And now you find you fit this identikit completely You say you have no secrets And then leave discreetly I might make it California's fault Be locked in Geneva's deepest vault Just like the canals of Mars and the Great Barrier Reef I come to you beyond belief My hands were clammy and cunning She's been suitably stunning But I know there's not a hope in Hades All the laddies cat call and wolf whistle So-called gentlemen and ladies Dog fight like rose and thistle I've got a feeling I'm going to get a lot of grief Once this seemed so appealing Now I am beyond belief I've got a feeling I'm going to get a lot of grief Once this seemed so appealing Now I am beyond belief

Beyond Belief Written by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello Produced by Geoff Emerick from an original idea by Elvis Costello Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, electric guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded November 1981, AIR Studios, London Released July 2, 1982 Albums Imperial Bedroom, 1982 Singles Green Shirt, 1985 London's Brilliant Parade, 1994 Collections The Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1985 The Man (The Best Of Elvis Costello), 1985 Girls Girls Girls, 1989 The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994 The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999 The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years, 2007 Promos A Conversation With Elvis Costello, 1982 F-Beat EC-2, 1982 Man Out Of Time, 1982 First known performance:  December 23, 1981, London, England      (630 known performances) Alternate versions The Land Of Give And Take

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: Imperial Bedroom  •  lyrics  •  chords
• Lyrics  •  Covers

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: Imperial Bedroom