Pay It Back

Stop thief; you're gonna come to grief If you don't take a little more care You're gonna get more than the family plan From this one shoestring affair I may be crazy but I can't contemplate Being trapped between the doctor and the magistrate Chorus: One of these days I'm gonna pay it back, pay it back, one of these days One of these days I'm gonna pay it back, pay it back, one of these days And then they told me I could be somebody If I didn't let too much get in my way And I tried so hard just to be myself But I keep on fading away And then the lights went out, I didn't know what to do If I could fool myself, then maybe I'd fool you (chorus) I wouldn't say that I was raised on romance Let's not get stuck in the past I love you more than everything in the world I don't expect that will last They told me everything was guaranteed Somebody somewhere must've lied to me (chorus)

Pay It Back Written by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello Produced by Nick Lowe Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar John McFee - guitar Sean Hopper - keyboards, backing vocals Johnny Ciambotti - bass, backing vocals Mickey Shine - drums Nick Lowe - backing vocals Recorded late 1976-early 1977, Pathway Studios, London Released July 22, 1977 Albums My Aim Is True, 1977 Viva England, 1982 (Spain) Singles Mystery Dance, 1977 (Belgium/France) Collections 2½ Years, 1993 Length 2:33 First known performance:  July 21, 1977, Manchester, England Last known performance:  November 8, 2007, San Francisco, CA      (10 known performances) Alternate versions Pay It Back (Soundcheck 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 September 11, 2007 Albums My Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition, 2007 Length 2:23

Covers

Danny Flowers - with The Long Players

performed live, My Aim Is True tribute show, 2006-01-13, Nashville

2006

TheLongPlayers.com

Charles Jenkins

performed live, 2013-02-02, Pure Pop Records, Melbourne, Australia

2013

YouTube  •  Charlesjenkins.com.au

Erich Sellheim

home studio production, sung in German

2013

YouTube

Chords

Intro  | G | G | C | C |
 
G
Stop thief; you're gonna come to grief
		C
if you don't take a little more care.
 		G            Em7	C	G
You're gonna get more than the family plan
 			C	G
from this one shoestring affair.
Em 	A			C	G
I may be crazy but I can't contemplate
F					      C	     Bm		
being trapped between the doctor and the magistrate.

G
One of these days I'm gonna pay it back, pay it back,
C
one of these days.
G
One of these days I'm gonna pay it back, pay it back,
C
one of these days.

And then they told me I could be somebody
if I didn't let too much get in my way.
And I tried so hard just to be myself,
but I keep on fading away.
Until the lights went out, I didn't know what to do.
If I could fool myself, then maybe I'd fool you too.

chorus

I wouldn't say that I was raised on romance.
Let's not get stuck in the past.
I love you more than everything in the world.
I don't expect that will last.
They told me everything was guaranteed.
Somebody somewhere must've lied to me.

Chorus, repeat to fade

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
• Elvis Costello Home Page: Mystery Dance Belgian single
• Lyrics  •  Lyrics (français)  •  Covers

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: My Aim Is True