Miracle Man

You never asked me what I wanted. You only asked me why. I never thought that so much trouble was restin' on my reply, I could say it was the nights when I was lonely and you were the only one who'd come. I could tell you that I like your sensitivity, when you know it's the way that you walk. Why do you have to say that there's always someone who can do it better than I can? But don't you think that I know that walking on the water won't make me a miracle man? Baby's gotta have the things she wants. You know she's gotta have the things she loves. She's got a ten-inch bamboo cigarette holder and her black patent leather gloves. And I'm doing everything just tryin' to please her, even crawling around on all fours. Oh, I thought by now that it was gonna be easy, but she still seems to want for more. (chorus) I hear they're givin' you a bad reputation just because you've never been denied. You try to say you've done it all before. Baby, you know that you just get tired. Yet everybody loves you so much, girl. I just don't know how you stand the strain. Oh, I, I'm the one who's here tonight, and I don't wanna do it all in vain. (chorus)

Miracle Man Written by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello Produced by Nick Lowe Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar John McFee - guitar Sean Hopper - keyboards Johnny Ciambotti - bass Mickey Shine - drums Recorded late 1976-early 1977, Pathway Studios, London Released July 22, 1977 Albums My Aim Is True, 1977 Viva England, 1982 (Spain) Collections 2½ Years, 1993 Rock And Roll Music, 2007 Soundtracks The Godfather Part III, 1990 Promos Our Aim Is True, 1978 Length 3:32 First known performance:  July 21, 1977, Manchester, England Last known performance:  November 8, 2007, San Francisco, CA      (138 known performances) Alternate versions Miracle Man (Pathway Studios Demo) Performed by Elvis Costello Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Recorded late 1976, Pathway Studios, London Released September 11, 2007 Albums My Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition, 2007 Length 2:22 Miracle Man (Live 1977) Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded August 7, 1977, London, England Released 1977 Albums My Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition, 2007 Singles Alison, 1977 Collections Singles, Volume 1, 2003 Length 3:53 Miracle Man (Live 1977) Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded October 22, 1977, Leicester, England Released February 1978 Various Artists collections Live Stiffs, 1978 Promos Arista AOR Sampler, 1978 Length 3:56 Miracle Man (Live 1978) Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded February 28, 1978, Washington, DC Released March 4, 2008 Albums This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition, 2008 Length 4:24 Miracle Man (Live 1978) Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded March 6, 1978, Toronto, ON, Canada Released 1978 (promo-only release) October 15, 1993 (commercial release) Albums Live At The El Mocambo, 1978 Collections 2½ Years, 1993 Length 3:59

Chords

Intro
| E | C#m7 | play two times

E		      C#m7	       E 				C#m7
You never asked me what I wanted. You only asked me why.
E		      C#m7	                   E            B         E
I never thought that so much trouble was a-rested on my reply.
	A			      E
I could say it was the nights when I was lonely
A				C#m7
and you were the only one who'd come.
A				E
I could tell you that I like your sensitivity,
F#				        B	 
when you know it's the way that you walk.

A					E 
Why do you have to say that there's always someone
A				E 
who can do it better than I can?
A				       E
But don't you think that I know that walking on the water
         B			
won't make me a miracle man?

Baby's gotta have the things she wants.
You know she's gotta have the things she loves.
She's got a ten-inch bamboo cigarette holder
and her black patent leather gloves.
And I'm doing everything just tryin' to please her,
even crawling around on all fours. 
Oh, I thought by now that it was gonna be easy,
but she still seems to want for more.

(chorus)

| E | C#m7 | play two times

I hear they're givin' you a bad reputation
just because you've never been denied.
You try to say you've done it all before.
Baby, you know that you just get tired.
Yet everybody loves you so much, girl.
I just don't know how you stand the strain.
Oh, I, I'm the one who's here tonight,
and I don't wanna do it all in vain.

(chorus)

| E | C#m7 | repeat to fade

Translation

• Miracle Man (français)

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: My Aim Is True  •  lyrics  •  chords  •  MAIT info page  •  Viva England  •  Rykodisc/Demon MAIT reissue  •  Rhino/Edsel MAIT reissue
• Lyrics  •  Covers

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: My Aim Is True