the other side of summer

Elvis Costello

The sun struggles up another beautiful day
And I felt glad in my own suspicious way
Despite the contradiction and confusion
Felt tragic without reason
There?s malice and there?s magic in every season

Chorus:
From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The other side of Summer
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of Summer

The automatic gates close up between the shanties and the palace
The blowtorch amusements, the voodoo chalice
The pale pathetic promises that everybody swallows
A teenage girl is crying ?cos she don?t look like a million dollars
So help her if you can
?Cos she don?t seem to have the attention span

Chorus

Was it a millionaire who said ?imagine no possessions??
A poor little schoolboy who said ?we don?t need no lessons??
The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop
The pop princess is downtown shooting up
And if that goddess if fit for burning
The sun will struggle up the world will still keep turning

Madman standing by the side of the road saying
?Look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes?
Now you can?t afford to fake all the drugs your parents used to take
Because of their mistakes you?d better be wide awake

Chorus

The mightiest rose
The absence of perfume
The casual killers
The military curfew
The cardboard city
An unwanted birthday
The other side of summer

The dancing was desperate, the music was worse
They bury your dreams and dig up the worthless
Goodnight
God bless
And kiss ?goodbye? to the earth
The other side of summer