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

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 at that jumping sign
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says, "We never close"
He snatched at you and you match his 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

She is watching the detectives
Ooh, he's so cute
She is watching the detectives
Oh, 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

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
Oh, 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
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives

Watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives


Lyrics submitted by mourninghasbroken, edited by ljadwin, DocMarten, tdg, GordianPiusIII, blade9

Watching the Detectives Lyrics as written by Elvis Costello

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Watching the Detectives song meanings
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    General Comment

    A few people here have completely missed the content. That's OK, it means the song is well written. This is a song about sexual frustration in the blues/rock tradition with film noir (actually just a cop show, it's the music that sounds film noir) as the metaphor. The very opening of the song: "Nice girls, not one with a defect Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct" Describes looking at a magazine and beoming aroused. The girls are perfect, the magazine comes shrink-wrapped. He's a red dog but she's distracted. 3rd verse is a mind-racing orgasm sequence blending his thoughts with the television. At first it's his orgasm but she's eventually glad she stayed.... It's a brilliant look into stream-of-conciousness of an otherwise inane event: sex with the TV on.

    bugmenoton March 03, 2007   Link

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