Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
Fiendish wonder in the carnival's wake
Dull caresses once again irritate
Tread softly, stranger
Move over toward the danger that you seek
You think excitement has receded then the mirror distracts
The logic of the trance quickly reaches and grasps
Handsome and faceless
And weightless, your imagination runs
And now it's no one's fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you'd never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you're a sinking stone
But you know what it's like to hold the jeweler's hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned
In the moonlight they're more thrilling
Those things that he knows
As he leads you through the grinning
Bubble blowers in the snow
Watching his exit
Was like falling off the ferry in the night
The inevitables gather to push you around
Any other voice makes such a punishing sound
He became laughter's assassin
Shortly after he showed you what it was
And now it's no one's fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you'd never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you're a sinking stone
But you know what it's like to hold the jeweler's hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until you return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until you return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until you return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Dull caresses once again irritate
Tread softly, stranger
Move over toward the danger that you seek
You think excitement has receded then the mirror distracts
The logic of the trance quickly reaches and grasps
Handsome and faceless
And weightless, your imagination runs
And now it's no one's fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you'd never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you're a sinking stone
But you know what it's like to hold the jeweler's hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned
In the moonlight they're more thrilling
Those things that he knows
As he leads you through the grinning
Bubble blowers in the snow
Watching his exit
Was like falling off the ferry in the night
The inevitables gather to push you around
Any other voice makes such a punishing sound
He became laughter's assassin
Shortly after he showed you what it was
And now it's no one's fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you'd never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you're a sinking stone
But you know what it's like to hold the jeweler's hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until you return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until you return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until you return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Lyrics submitted by life_aint_chess, edited by TheBronze
The Jeweller's Hands Lyrics as written by Alex Turner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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I always thought it was: 'Dull caresses once again irritate' But then again I could be completely wrong :)x