Lyrics to
Pretty Words

This version of Pretty Words was released by Elvis Costello in 1981.

Our Decade Lyrics Elvis Costello profile has all of the Pretty Words lyrics from 1981 and many more songs from the Elvis Costello discography that we have on file.

Here's more interesting things in songs and lyrics tied to Elvis Costello or about the 1980s in general.

I ask you nicely
Get my face slapped under wraps
What’s going on precisely
Is there something wrong perhaps?

Surprise, surprise (surprise, surprise)
It’s more like a booby trap than a booby prize

Civil disobedience from a soldier with a dirty rifle
You’re loosening all the screws that hold the hinges of my life

Fat cats and army brats
Hep cats and dog tags pawing over girly mags

Pretty words don’t mean much anymore
I don’t mean to be mean much anymore
All I see are snapshots, big shots, tender spots
(1) mug shots, machine slots
(2) machine slots, mug shots
Till you don’t know what’s what
You don’t know what you got

Curious women running after curious men
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat
It was a poisoned pen
But there’s not much choice (it’s Hobson’s choice)
Between a cruel mouth and a jealous voice

Got back to London
Picked a paper from the mat
No words of consolation
Just cartoons and chitter chatter
Well well, fancy that
Millions murdered for a kiss me quick hat
No backbone, blood and guts
Better keep your big mouth shut

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Want more lyrics and songs by Elvis Costello?

Elvis Costello has released many songs over the years besides Pretty Words. Elvis Costello released songs from 1977 to 2004 spanning across albums like My Aim Is True, This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy!!, Trust, Almost Blue, Imperial Bedroom, Punch The Clock, Goodbye Cruel World, Blood And Chocolate, King Of America, Spike, Mighty Like A Rose, The Juliet Letters, Brutal Youth, Kojak Variety, Deep Dead Blue, All This Useless Beauty, Painted From Memory, For The Stars, When I Was Cruel, North, and The Delivery Man. Decade Lyrics has over lyrics & songs by Elvis Costello.

If you're a fan of 1980s music looking for more songs from 1981 or the 1980s overall, you've come to the right place!

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