Our Little Angel

This is the place where I made my best mistakes This is the place even angels don't understand I've seen the disappointment in her face And the collection of engagement rings on her right hand She sits alone apart from the crowd In a white dress she wears like a question mark Friends speak of her fondly Enemies just think out loud You think you're man enough to please her And you're fool enough to start You're not going to do a thing to our little angel There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change Now the cabaret is frozen and the laughter comes in cans And the lonely hearts club clientele don't know what to do with their hands You think that you'll be sweet to her but everybody knows That you're the marshmallow valentine that got stuck on her clothes But you're not going to do a thing to our little angel There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change So you mix your drinks and words You make bad jokes you make bad time The floors are there to walk over The walls are there to climb You swear that you'll never go back again once you're inside You're never the bridegroom she's always the bride And you're not going to do a thing to our little angel There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change You'll come in a sweetheart and you'll go out a stranger Well you try to love her but she's so contrary Like a chainsaw running through a dictionary So get your mind off the sweet behind of our little angel You're not going to do a thing You're not going to do a thing You're not going to do a thing to our little angel

Our Little Angel Written by Declan MacManus Performed by The Costello Show Produced by J. Henry (T-Bone) Burnett & Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus with Larry Kalman Hirsch Musicians The Little Hands Of Concrete - vocals, acoustic guitar James Burton - electric guitar, dobro Jerry Scheff - string bass Ron Tutt - brushes & drums Recorded July 1985, Ocean Way and/or Sunset Sound and/or Sound Factory, Los Angeles Released February 21, 1986 Albums King Of America, 1986 Collections Girls Girls Girls, 1989 Length 4:04 First known performance:  June 20, 1985, Sydney, Australia Last known performance:  February 14, 2023, New York, NY      (77 known performances)

Covers

Nate Hertweck & Jeff Cleveland

performed live, 2016-02-02, Brennan's Pub, Marina del Rey, California

2016

YouTube

Evan Dando

performed live, 2024-03-02, Swedish American Hall, San Francisco

2024

Erich Sellheim

home studio production, sung in German

2019

YouTube

Chords

Chords you will need:

  Am  Am/B  C  C/D  F  F1?  D   Bm  D7  Em
--0----0----0---0---1---0---2---2---2---0--
--1----1----1---1---1---0---3---3---1---0--
--2----2----0---0---2---2---2---4---2---0--
--2----2----2---0---3---3---0---4---0---2--
--0----2----3---3---------------2-------2--
------------0---0-----------------------0--

       ^I use my thumb for this one

[Intro:]

Am  Am/B  C  C/D   F  F1  [two times]

Am            Am/B          C              F     F1
  This is the place where I made my best mistakes
Am            Am/B       C                 D
  This is the place even angels don't understand
Am              Am/B  C               F
  I've seen the disappointment in her face
        D               Bm            C             D
And the collection of engagement rings on her right hand
Am         Am/B   C             F    F1
  She sits alone apart from the crowd
     Am         Am/B       C               D
In a white dress she wears like a question mark
Am               Am/B  C 
  Friends speak of her fondly
                       F
Enemies just think out loud
                 D             Bm
You think you're man enough to please her
           C              D
And you're fool enough to start
G                               C              G
  You're not going to do a thing to our little angel
D                                       C                    D
 There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change

Now the cabaret is frozen and the laughter comes in cans
And the lonely hearts club clientele don't know what to do 
  with their hands
You think that you'll be sweet to her but everybody knows
That you're the marshmallow valentine that got stuck on her clothes
You're not going to do a thing to our little angel
                                                            F
There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change

[Chords through solo:]
D   D   G   D   A   A   G   C   A

So you mix your drinks and words
You make bad jokes you make bad time
The floors are there to walk over
The walls are there to climb
You swear you'll never go back again once you're inside
You're never the bridegroom she's always the bride
You're not going to do a thing to our little angel
There's nothing you're thinking tonight that tomorrow won't change

G                                      C         G
 You'll come in a sweetheart and you'll go out a stranger
         D
Well you try to love her but she's so contrary
Like a chainsaw running through a dictionary
                                        C           D  G
So get your mind off the sweet behind of our little angel
G
 You're not going to do a thing

 You're not going to do a thing
                     Em        D                   G
 You're not going to do a thing to our little angel

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: King Of America  •  lyrics  •  chords  •  Info page
• Lyrics  •  Covers

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: King Of America