Do You Know What I'm Saying?

The past prima donna in buttons and bells Is speaking what’s left of her mind as the audience rebels Do you know what I’m saying? Those intimate melodramatic farewells At about twenty thousand or so decibels Do you know what I’m saying? The lights they were dimmed, the music by Strauss She entered on roller-skates, fetchingly tousled She danced like an ambulance, talked like a cartoon mouse She took off her clothes and it brought down the house Do you know what I’m saying? Do you know what I’m saying? Why don’t you come when I call? Do you know what I’m saying? Can you still hear me at all? The male counterpart: stupid, brutal and rich Lies under the arm of the world like an itch Do you know what I’m saying? Because he is such an attractive young lout Putting words in his mouth and then trying them out It doesn’t much matter what they are about As long as he has something nasty to spout Do you know what I’m saying? Boys will be boys, blood must be spilt And nothing like show-business was ever built For letting your critical function wilt Under the weight of your liberal guilt Do you know what I’m saying? Do you know what I’m saying? Why don’t you come when I call? Do you know what I’m saying? Why can’t you hear me at all? He’s the genuine voice of his unlovely state And the first to complain when they start to investigate Under his criminal past and his polythene skin He’s blowing his lines with his cheeks sucked in Do you know what I’m saying? Hush, now he has something special to say "Can you put your hands together this way?" Do you know what I’m saying? Do you know what I’m saying? Why don’t you come when I call? Do you know what I’m saying? Can you still hear me at all?

Do You Know What I'm Saying? Written by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello Produced by Elvis Costello Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar, bass, piano Pete Thomas - drums Recorded late 1991 or early 1992, Pathway Studios, London Released April 18, 1994 Singles 13 Steps Lead Down, 1994 (7" & cassette single) Sulky Girl, 1994 (Australia cassette single) Promos Clown Strike, 1994 (US promo) Length 4:58 First known performance:      (3 known performances)

Internal links

• 13 Steps Lead Down single  •  Sulky Girl Australian cassette single  •  Clown Strike U.S. promo
• Lyrics  •  Covers