The Puppet Has Cut His Strings

They pulled the stars down one by one Hauled up the moon to shine upon A velvet curtain rising Now her puppet has cut his strings The footlights glare The trumpets blare Why is your face drawn on so glum, old chum Paintbrush dragging on a drum The rimshot on the punchline that you fumbled The crowd went home and left you For dead My old woodenhead Took the thimble and the thread Choked back tears like a cymbal The breath is slow and shallow too The sky is bright Venetian blue The cardboard sun is all ablaze The air is painted Clifford Brown Caressing "Yesterdays" The steady gaze of your glass eye Head in a basket smiling still Free of will, free of wisdom Can't feel my fingers anymore Can't raise my hand and ask for more Dance my doll across the floor Or fire a flag from a pistol ("Bang") They pulled the stars down one by one Hauled up the moon to wish upon The puppet finally cut his strings And free at last from earthly things He's dancing on the ceiling With a showgirl in a feather dress Time is meaningless We carried you on buckled limbs Through mournful airs and martyrs hymns Then one blue and one more yellow pill One keeps you quiet One keeps you still You sang "The Way You Looked Tonight" Your voice is ringing true and clear Then you wore them down like candlelight And in the darkness You'd best beware And in the darkness You'd best beware You'd best beware You'd best beware I used to love him When I used to care Canopy Satin trim Slowly closing The puppet has cut his strings

The Puppet Has Cut His Strings Written by Elvis Costello, Ahmir Thompson, Ray Angry Performed by Elvis Costello and The Roots Produced by Elvis Costello, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, Steven Mandel and Ray Angry Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals Ray Angry - piano Pino Palladino - bass ?uestlove - drums Albums Wise Up Ghost (Deluxe Edition), 2013 Length 4:57 First known performance:      (10 known performances)

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