New Lace Sleeves - Elvis Costello, The Attractions

Bad lovers face to face in the morning

Shy apologies and polite regrets

Slow dances that left no warning of Outraged glances and indiscreet yawning

Good manners and bad breath get you nowhere

Even presidents have newspaper lovers

Ministers go crawling under covers

Shes no angel

Hes no saint

Theyre all covered up with white washed grease paint

And you say…

The teacher never told you anything but white lies

But you never see the lies

And you believe

Oh you know you have been captured

You feel so civilized

And you look so pretty in your new lace sleeves

The salty lips of the socialite sisters

With their continental fingers that have

Never seen working blisters

Oh I know theyve got their problems

I wish I was one of them

They say daddys coming home soon

With his sergeant stripes and his empire mug and spoon

No more fast buck

And when are they gonna learn their lesson

When are they gonna stop all of these victory processions

And you say…