The Sharpest Thorn

I wore my finest suit of clothes The sharpest thorn defending the rose Hot as a pistol Keen as a blade The sharpest thorn upon parade And it's the same most every year Ghosts of the dear departed are near We raise our glasses and we cheer Should old acquaintance disappear Just as we wipe away a tear Archangel Michael will lead the way Archangel Gabriel is ready to play Although we know we must repent We hit the scene and look for sins That haven't even been invented The strongest cage that guards the prize The longest lash that covers your eyes A sight no eyes are meant to know Then on the third day he arose Archangel Michael will lead the way Archangel Gabriel is ready to play Although we know we must repent We hit the scene and look for sins That haven't even been invented So Good and Evil were having a fight It lasts much longer than any one night It may last longer than a life And turn a mistress into a wife And so confetti fills the air My head is aching My pockets are bare I didn't recognise their warning Then I wasn't born the sharpest thorn I wasn't born the sharpest thorn I wasn't born the sharpest thorn I wasn't born the sharpest thorn I wasn't born the sharpest thorn

The Sharpest Thorn Words by Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint Music by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint (featuring The Imposters & The Crescent City Horns) Produced by Joe Henry Horn arrangement Allen Toussaint Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, Gibson J-50 guitar, tambourine, Hammond B3 organ (bridge) Allen Toussaint - piano Steve Nieve - Hammond B3 organ Davey Faragher - bass Pete Thomas - drums, parade bass drum Brian "Breeze" Cayolle - baritone saxophone Amadee Castenell - tenor & soprano saxophone Joe "Foxx" Smith - baritone euphonium, trumpet Sam "Big Sam" Williams - trombone Recorded November 27 - December 10, 2005, Sunset Sound, Hollywood, and/or Piety Street Recorders, New Orleans Released April 7, 2006 Albums The River In Reverse, 2006 Various Artists collections Verve Today 2006, 2006 Length 4:16 First known performance:      (56 known performances) Alternate versions The Sharpest Thorn (Live 2006) Performed by Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint featuring The Imposters, Anthony "AB" Brown & The Crescent City Horns Horn arrangement Allen Toussaint Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal Allen Toussaint - piano Steve Nieve - keyboards, melodica Davey Faragher - bass Pete Thomas - drums Anthony "AB" Brown - guitar Amadee Castenell - flute Brian "Breeze" Cayolle - saxophone Joe "Foxx" Smith - trumpet Sam "Big Sam" Williams - trombone Recorded July 3, 2006, Montreal, QC, Canada Released December 5, 2006 Videos Hot As A Pistol, Keen As A Blade, 2006

Chords

Approximately:

Intro: F - Csus4 - C // G - C

Verses [I wore, The strongest]: F - Csus4 - C // G - C

F - Csus4 - C // G

F - Csus4 - C // G - F

F - Csus4 - C // G - C

Bridge [Archangel Michael...] : G - F - G

F - Am

G - Am

C - F

Am - G

Internal links

• Lyrics