Button My Lip

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Don't want to talk about the government
Don't want to talk about some incident
Don't want to talk about some peppermint gum
Don't want to talk about the time to come

Button my lip
'Til I'm smart enough

Don't raise your hand 'cos I'm not offering
It serves you right, now you are suffering
Give me a chance to see it through
It all depends on what you hold is true

Button my lip
With your kiss

Don't want to hear some little sniveling
You just don't get what I'm delivering
Maybe you want me but you know you can't
I'd say, "I want you"
But you know I don't

Button my lip
'Til I'm old enough
'Til I'm smart enough
'Til I'm...
Button my lip

Don't want to come at your beckoning
For any day they'll be a reckoning
Don't want to hear what is impossible
Baby, you've become invisible

Button my lip

I've seen those clowns, vacant and insolent
I stand accused but I am innocent
I am the mighty and magnificent

Button My Lip
Written byElvis Costello (contains interpolated elements from "America" by Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Imposters
Produced byDennis Herring & Elvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, Gibson Super 400 guitar
Steve Nieve - upright piano
Davey Faragher - Gibson EB1 bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedApril 2004, Sweet Tea, Oxford, MS
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2004
AlbumsThe Delivery Man, 2004
Length4:51

First known performance:
April 2, 2004, Oxford, MS
Last known performance:
June 28, 2005, Nuremberg, Germany
     (61 known performances)


Alternate versions

Button My Lip (Live for iTunes)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Imposters
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Davey Faragher - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedSeptember 23, 2004, Avatar Studios, New York
ReleasedNovember 30, 2004
DownloadsFuturama Sessions, 2004
Length4:57

Button My Lip (Live 2004)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Imposters
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Davey Faragher - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedSeptember 17, 2004, Hi-Tone Cafe, Memphis, TN - either early or late show
ReleasedApril 19, 2005
VideosClub Date: Live In Memphis, 2005
The Delivery ManTdm.jpg

The Delivery Man (Deluxe Edition)The Delivery Man Deluxe Edition album cover.jpg

Futurama SessionsFuturama sessions.jpg

Club Date: Live In MemphisClub Date Live In Memphis dvd cover.jpg

Covers

Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2021 YouTube

Internal links