5ive Gears In Reverse Lyrics

Lyric discussion by FLY2venus 

Cover art for 5ive Gears In Reverse lyrics by Elvis Costello

LOVE this song. I think it's about drug use: "The big lift" and "the road to ruin"

"If you're gagged and bound, how can I corrupt you?" in other words - if you're doing silly things (maybe while on drugs) how can anyone make you even worse? And "FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE" is perhaps about drugs take you backwards - never forwards. Maybe. I've listened to this song for many years and never thought about it.

@FLY2venus Agree..11 years later...LOL! I'm a big Elvis fan & have his first 6 or 7 albums on vinyl. The rest are cassette tape & CD. I have no better or different observation than yours. Elvis is clearly an under-rated Wordsmith of the highest skill. His lyrics always seem to make me think twice or 3 times before I get his meaning..even though sometimes I get it right away and laugh my a$$ off. And he's quite adept at different genres of music without struggle or contrivance. Simply put: the man's a genius.