I hate these flaming curtains they're not the color of your hair
I hate these strip lights they're not so undoing as your stare
I hate the buttons on your shirt when all I want to do is tear
I hate this bloody big bed of mine when you're not here
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly
Well you seem to be shivering dear and the room is awfully warm
In the white and scarlet billows that subside beyond the storm
You have this expression dear no words could take its place
And I wear it like a badge that you put all over my face
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly
I'll wear it proudly through the dives and the dance halls
If you'll wear it proudly through the snake pits and catcalls
Like a fifteen year old kid wears a vampire kiss
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Were you arms and legs wrapped round more than my memory tonight
When the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright
But in shameless moments you made more of me than just a mess
And a handful of eagerness says "What do you suggest?"
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly,
I'll wear proudly, I'll wear it proudly
I hate these strip lights they're not so undoing as your stare
I hate the buttons on your shirt when all I want to do is tear
I hate this bloody big bed of mine when you're not here
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly
Well you seem to be shivering dear and the room is awfully warm
In the white and scarlet billows that subside beyond the storm
You have this expression dear no words could take its place
And I wear it like a badge that you put all over my face
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly
I'll wear it proudly through the dives and the dance halls
If you'll wear it proudly through the snake pits and catcalls
Like a fifteen year old kid wears a vampire kiss
If you don't know what is wrong with me
Then you don't know what you've missed
Were you arms and legs wrapped round more than my memory tonight
When the bell rang out and the air around turned blue from fright
But in shameless moments you made more of me than just a mess
And a handful of eagerness says "What do you suggest?"
Well I finally found someone to turn me upside down
And nail my feet up where my head should be
If they had a King of Fools then I could wear that crown
And you can all die laughing because I'll wear it proudly,
I'll wear proudly, I'll wear it proudly
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"Like a fifteen year old kid wears a vampire kiss"
"And I wear it like a badge that you put all over my face"
"But in shameless moments you made more of me than just a mess"
To me, they all seem to be lines that indicate a sense of shame over what he feels, but in one way or another still gives the impression that he thinks his feelings are justified, no matter how stupid they make him seem.
I agree that "The bell rang out and the air outside turned blue from fright" is probably a reference to the building being set on fire, but I would say it's probably a metaphorical fire, rather than a literal one.
I could be missing something here, early Elvis Costello lyrics about love and relationships are mostly known for being spiteful and cynical. But given that he was recently married to Cait O'Riordan at the time, maybe the idea that he would write a more straightforward love song is not that much of a stretch. It does appear on the same album as Jack of all Parades, which is also a lot less cynical than his other love songs.
Have I been reading too much pulp fiction?