London's Brilliant Parade

Outside my window Not long before sleep arrives They come with their sirens And they sweep away all the boys Busy draining the joy from their lives They never said their prayers out loud And while I'm dreaming There's a passing motor car That broadcasts a popular song And a girl appears to be saying "Do you think that I'm going to go far?" (Chorus:) Just look at me I'm having the time of my life Or something quite like it When I'm walking out and about In London's brilliant parade She's one of those girls that you just can't place You feel guilty desiring such an innocent face But of course they knew that when they cast her Along with the red Routemaster And the film takes place in an MGB And a perfect re-creation of "The Speakeasy" Everybody looks happy and twisted Though she probably never existed For old times' sake Don't let me awake I wouldn't want you to walk across Hungerford Bridge Especially at twilight Looking through the bolts and the girders Into the water below You'll never find your answer there They sounded the "all-clear" in the occidental bazaar They used to call Oxford Street Now the bankrupt souls in the city Are finally tasting defeat Don't look at me I'm having the time of my life Or something quite like it When I'm walking out and about In London's brilliant parade When I'm walking out and about In London's brilliant parade From the gates of St. Mary's There were horses in Olympia And a trolley bus in Fulham Broadway The lions and the tigers in Regent's Park Couldn't pay their way And now they're not the only ones At the Hammersmith Palais In Kensington and Camden Town There's a part that I used to play The lovely Diorama is really part of the drama, I'd say (Repeat Chorus Twice)

London's Brilliant Parade Written by Declan MacManus Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Produced by Mitchell Froom & Elvis Costello Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar Pete Thomas - drums Steve Nieve - grand piano, organ Bruce Thomas - bass Recorded 1993, Olympic Studios, London Released March 8, 1994 Albums Brutal Youth, 1994 Singles London's Brilliant Parade, 1994 Collections Extreme Honey: The Very Best Of The Warner Bros. Years, 1997 Promos Words And Music, 1994 Malice And Magic (Japan), 1994 Malice And Magic (US), 1995 A Taste Of Extreme Honey, 1997 UK Elvis Costello, 2002 Length 4:22 First known performance:  May 3, 1994, Vancouver, BC, Canada Last known performance:  October 2, 2003, Tokyo, Japan      (88 known performances)

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: Brutal Youth | lyrics | chords | BY info page 1
• Elvis Costello Home Page: London's Brilliant Parade CD single info page 1 | page 2 | London's Brilliant Parade 12" single info page
• Lyrics  •  Covers

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: Brutal Youth