Elvis Costello

Punch the Clock

Elvis Costello


They talked to the sister, the father and the mother 
With a microphone in one hand and a chequebook in the other 
AND THE CAMERA NOSES IN TO THE TEARS ON HER FACE 
The tears on her face 
The tears on her face 
You can put them back together with your paper and paste 
But you can't put them back together 
You can't put them back together 

What would you say? 
What would you do? 
Children and animals two by two 
Give me the needle 
Give me the rope 
We're going to melt them down for PILLS AND SOAP 
Give me the needle 
Give me the rope 
We're going to melt them down for pills and soap 

Four and twenty crowbars, jemmy your desire 
Out of the frying pan into the fire 
The king is in the counting house 
Some folk have all the luck 
And all we get are pictures of LORD AND LADY MUCK 
They come from lovely people with a hard line in hypocrisy 
THERE ARE ASHTRAYS OF EMOTION FOR THE FAG ENDS OF THE ARISTOCRACY 

The sugar coated pill is getting bitterer still 
YOU THINK YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU BUT YOU KNOW IT NEVER WILL 
So pack up your troubles in a stolen handbag 
DON'T DILLY DALLY BOYS RALLY ROUND THE FLAG 
Give us your daily bread in individual slices 
And something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis