Calling Mister Oswald with the swastika tattoo,
There is a vacancy waiting in the English voodoo,
Carving V for vandal on the guilty boy's head.
When he's had enough of that maybe you'll take him to bed
To teach him he's alive before he wishes he was dead.
Chorus
Turn up the TV. No one listening will suspect,
Even your mother won't detect it,
So your father won't know.
They think that I've got no respect
But everything means less than zero.
Hey, ooh hey, hey, ooh hey.
Oswald and his sister are doing it again.
They've got the finest home movies that you have ever seen.
They've got a thousand variations: every service with a smile.
They're gonna take a little break, and they'll be back after a while.
Well I hear that South America is coming into style.
Chorus
A pistol was still smoking, a man lay on the floor.
Mister Oswald said he had an understanding with the law.
He said he heard about a couple living in the USA.
He said they traded in their baby for a Chevrolet.
Let's talk about the future now we've put the past away.
Chorus
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Less Than Zero |
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Written by | Elvis Costello |
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Performed by | Elvis Costello |
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Produced by | Nick Lowe |
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Musicians | Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar John McFee - guitar Sean Hopper - keyboards Johnny Ciambotti - bass Mickey Shine - drums Stan Shaw - organ |
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Recorded | late 1976-early 1977, Pathway Studios, London |
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Released | March 25, 1977 |
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Albums | My Aim Is True, 1977 Viva England, 1982 (Spain) |
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Singles | Less Than Zero, 1977 Alison, 1978 (Germany) Less Than Zero, 1985 (12" single) |
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Collections | Stiff Box Set No. 2, 1981 Girls Girls Girls, 1989 (CD only) 2½ Years, 1993 Singles, Volume 1, 2003 |
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Various Artists collections | A Bunch Of Stiff Records, 1977 Heroes & Cowards, 1978 The Stiff Records Box Set, 1992 Unusual Sounds For Levi's® Selected By Tahiti 80, 2005 The Big Stiff Box Set, 2007 Born Stiff, 2010 |
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Promos | 4 Track Sampler From My Aim Is True, 1977 Our Aim Is True, 1978 |
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Note | The original Less Than Zero single (with "LYN-7473" etched in the runoff groove) and A Bunch Of Stiff Records have an alternate mix with a more prominent organ part. |
Alternate versions
see also: Less Than Zero (Dallas Version)
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