Watching the Detectives is positively exploding with lyrical genius. It appears on Elvis Costello‘s stellar debut album My Aim is True. I believe this to be one of the best first forays of all Time and Space. A fantastique collection of tunes, in and of itself. Every single tune on this album is good. Every. Single. One.
‘The Detectives’ create an authentic pulp atmosphere and ambience with lyrics and musical composition that are at once painful, gritty, biting, exact and captivating… And just downright killer percussion. Killer. The bass. The guitars. Killer. Dig those groovy reggae beats, man. Dig ’em. Jah.
Here live from London’s Lyceum Ballroom it’s vintage Elvis Costello + The Attractions!!!
Steve Nieve on keyboards, Bruce Thomas on bass, Pete Thomas and Terry Williams on drums
Watching the Detectives
Nice girls not one with a defect,
cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct.
Red dogs under illegal legs.
She looks so good that he gets down and begs.
Chorus:
She is watching the detectives.
“ooh, he’s so cute!”
She is watching the detectives
when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.
They beat him up until the teardrops start,
but he can’t be wounded ’cause he’s got no heart.
Long shot of that jumping sign,
Visible shivers running down my spine.
Cut the baby taking off her clothes.
Close-up of the sign that says,”We never close”
You snatch a tune, you a match a cigarette,
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet.
I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
She’s filing her nails while they’re dragging the lake.
[Chorus]
You think you’re alone until you realize you’re in it.
Now fear is here to stay. Love is here for a visit.
They call it instant justice when it’s past the legal limit.
Someone’s scratching at the window. I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter’s disappearance.
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay,
it only took my little fingers to blow you away.
Just like watching the detectives.
Don’t get cute!”
It’s just like watching the detectives.
I get so angry when the teardrops start,
but he can’t be wounded ’cause he’s got no heart.
Watching the detectives.
It’s just like watching the detectives.
Dragging the lake!!! Yikes!
Like, are those wicked-good lyrics, or what, baby?! Or what?! I Love this tune so much I could, I dunno, just eat it up? Become a detective? Both? Something! Everything! Nothing?
Dizzy yet? 