Little Palaces Lyrics

Lyric discussion by kokakola 

Cover art for Little Palaces lyrics by Elvis Costello

are you sure it's not

"there's a rat in someone's bathroom and there's shit in someone's trap"

?? makes more sense... and sounds better.

It's also about... I think the name of the company is Cadbury. As in Cadbury Chocolate confections.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihoYSmmBkG8

At the beginning of this video he talks about what the songs about.

I think that it's correct as written: "There's a rat in someone's bedroom" could be a literal comment on the poor quality of the housing or could refer to some sort of informer, and "they're shutting someone's trap" means that someone is being made to keep quiet (probably violently).