Elvis Costello - All This Useless Beauty

Its at times such as this shed be tempted to spit
If she wasnt so ladylike
She imagines how she might have lived
Back when legends and history collide
So she looks to her prince finding hes so charmingly
Slumped at her side
Those days are recalled on the gallery wall
And shes waiting for passion or humour to strike

What shall we do, what shall we do with all this useless beauty?
All this useless beauty

Good Friday arrived, the sky darkened on time
Til he almost began to negotiate
She held his head like a baby and said Its okay if you cry
Now he wants her to dress as if you couldnt guess
He desires to impress his associates
But hes part ugly beast and Hellenic deceased
So she finds that the mixture is hard to deny

Chorus

She wont practice the looks from the great tragic books
That were later disgraced to face celluloid
It wont even make sense but you can bet
If she isnt a sweetheart or plaything or pet
The film turns her into an unveiled threat

Nonsense prevails, modesty fails
Grace and virtue turn into stupidity
While the calendar fades almost all barricades to a pale compromise
And our leaders have feasts on the backsides of beasts
They still think theyre the gods of antiquity
If something you missed didnt even exist
It was just an ideal -- is it such a surprise?

Chorus (2x)
Its at times such as this shed be tempted to spit
If she wasnt so ladylike
She imagines how she might have lived
Back when legends and history collide
So she looks to her prince finding hes so charmingly
Slumped at her side
Those days are recalled on the gallery wall
And shes waiting for passion or humour to strike

What shall we do, what shall we do with all this useless beauty?
All this useless beauty

Good Friday arrived, the sky darkened on time
Til he almost began to negotiate
She held his head like a baby and said Its okay if you cry
Now he wants her to dress as if you couldnt guess
He desires to impress his associates
But hes part ugly beast and Hellenic deceased
So she finds that the mixture is hard to deny

Chorus

She wont practice the looks from the great tragic books
That were later disgraced to face celluloid
It wont even make sense but you can bet
If she isnt a sweetheart or plaything or pet
The film turns her into an unveiled threat

Nonsense prevails, modesty fails
Grace and virtue turn into stupidity
While the calendar fades almost all barricades to a pale compromise
And our leaders have feasts on the backsides of beasts
They still think theyre the gods of antiquity
If something you missed didnt even exist
It was just an ideal -- is it such a surprise?

Chorus (2x)
Elvis Costello - All This Useless Beauty

From the compilation Extreme Honey The Very Best Of The Warner Brothers Years published 1997.

Elvis Costello - All This Useless Beauty (2 Meter Sessies, 14/04/1996)

Elvis Costello performs All This Beauty on Ducht program 2 Meter Sessies. Recorded on April 4, 1996. More sessions: http://www.2metersessies.nl/tv.

Elvis Costello - All This Useless Beauty

Elvis Costello - All The Useless Beauty.

All This Useless Beauty - Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Album: All This Useless Beauty (1996). Composed by Elvis Costello. Photo: Elliott Erwitt.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - All These Useless Re-mixes (HQ Audio Only)

In July 1996 Elvis Costello & The Attractions released one single a week to promote the album All This Useless beauty. These were limited to 5000 copies and ...

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello