Costello, Elvis - Green Shirt Lyrics






There's a smart young woman on a light blue screen
Who comes into my house every night.
And she takes all the red, yellow, orange and green
And she turns them into black and white.
But you tease, and you flirt
And you shine all the buttons on your green shirt
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it

Better cut off all identifying labels
Before they put you on the torture table

'Cause somewhere in the "Quizling Clinic"
There's a shorthand typist taking seconds over minutes
She's listening in to the Venus line
She's picking out names
I hope none of them are mine

But you tease, and you flirt...

Never said I was a stool pigeon
I never said I was a diplomat
Everybody is under suspicion
But you don't wanna hear about that

'Cause you tease, and you flirt...

Better send a begging letter to the big investigation
Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?

You tease, and you flirt...

You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it
You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get it





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Costello, Elvis Green Shirt Comments
  1. i.... ....

    One of my favorite EC songs. I just scored 69 points for bingoing with QUISLING in Scrabble.

  2. K.... S....

    What a clever video! Furthermore you got to love Elvis's take on David Bowie low Heroes lodger phase although I think Nick Lowe I love the sound of breaking glass to be superior but I'm a big prat so there u go.

  3. S.... M....

    Great song, shite video.

  4. T.... B....

    drums and bass drive this song so well

  5. H.... P....

    Who's here because they read the Lover Album review by Rolling Stone, which uses this song as a comparison--

  6. N.... M....

    Did costello invent social media with this video?

  7. m.... p....

    When this song came out in the 70's, I had a green shirt. I always thought this song was about my shirt.

    m.... p....

    You thought some British dude wrote a song specifically about your shirt? 😂😂😂

    m.... p....

    @Joshua Stephens yeah,the odds of that happening....had to be planned.

  8. S.... M....

    Angela Rippon false tribute?

  9. M.... M....

    like the coolest lesbian ever.....that's what I take

  10. W.... C....

    'You can please yourself.....but somebody's gonna get it.'
    Love it! Yes.....takes me back to '79.
    Love it still.

  11. u.... ....

    one of his many bests!

  12. R.... I....

    Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?

    R.... I....

    MTV’s put fingerprints on your imagination 😃

  13. F.... G....

    nice use of harpsichord

  14. S.... P....

    From the states I say that Mr. Costello's Alison is an Icon of art that I heard later. The earliest, Green Shirt introduced me to the 'different' tune that so many would be changed. Not 'Alison' or 'Oliver's Army', but in my world 'Green Shirt' was my time of change in music.

  15. J.... W....

    Late HS for me Great times

  16. s.... v....

    VANCOUVER

  17. M.... S....

    Elvis Costello played this one live tonight in St. Louis. An epic concert. St. Louis: Made famous by the real EC.

  18. J.... K....

    This is one of my favorite Elvis Costello songs. Sure I'll pony up a few bucks if he's playing at the Wiltern.
    Smart young woman on a lifeless screen comes into my eyes. Takes all the red yellow orange green and turns
    them into black and white. Shine up all the buttons on my green shirt about it.

  19. J.... K....

    Elvis is the original punker. Blame me if you don't love this.

  20. B.... K....

    Enjoys big naturals

  21. j.... d....

    Have loved Mr Costello since the 70's just great.

  22. P.... A....

    Elvis C. was the pioneer of "Nerd Rock". This song so reminds me of getting Armed Forces on vinyl and playing over and over and over as a nerdy, awkward teen back in 1979.

    P.... A....

    and I thought I was alone...…………...

    P.... A....

    I remember loving Armed Forces and being gutted 'What's so funny about peace love and understanding' wasn't on the uk version. Couldn't hope but notice the 'accidents will happen' and the poster of Elvis in ET

  23. B.... K....

    Nice mix

  24. J.... H....

    Great song, sucky video.

  25. P.... ....

    Elvis Costello certainly knows how to write a good hook.

  26. A.... N....

    Quisling

  27. H.... G....

    "hates: clocks"

  28. P.... B....

    I remember buying the 12 inch green vinyl version in '85 in Probe in Liverpool. The good old days. Thanks for posting

  29. D.... G....

    You tease you flirt somebody's going to get it!

  30. P.... r....

    What's the big deal with this guy, he's nothing special
    I like the original elvis (Presley) this guy just copied that name while trying to look like buddy holly and have a slight 50s sound to his music.

    P.... r....

    Ignorance par excellence right here.

    P.... r....

    To say he's nothing special is like saying Babe Ruth couldn't play Baseball or Michael Jordan wasn't really that good. Where do people come up with their stupid opinions?

    P.... r....

    @Johnny Newton HE WROTE ELVIS U RETRD

    P.... r....

    @szs voc and you're point is exactly what Mr fucktard?

    P.... r....

    He's the Real Elvis.

  31. R.... S....

    Hot Chocolate did a fantastic cover of this.

    R.... S....

    Yep, who'd of thought it, made some great tunes as well, lot more diverse than people realised

  32. S.... V....

    I haven't heard this song in a really long time and I remember it being a lot faster than this. Is there a different version?

  33. T.... Y....

    what the fuck am I watching?! this is fun

  34. J.... K....

    When someone says "Elvis" to someone in my genre we assume
    it's Costello. Green shirt is what to use. Shine all the buttons and please
    yourself but somebody's gonna get it. And ask who put those fingerprints on
    my imagination. Stool pigeons? Diplomats? It's most important that the buttons on
    that green shirt are polished to perfection.

    J.... K....

    Interesting. What is your "genre"?

  35. B.... S....

    Austin Powers..

  36. E.... S....

    didn't helmet make a cover of this

    E.... S....

    I love Helmet but their cover of this is horrible.

    E.... S....

    I personally hated "And Your Bird Can Sing" the most.
    I enjoy both versions tbh.

    E.... S....

    They shouldn't.

    E.... S....

    yes, unfortunately

  37. A.... H....

    The Hillary commercial ruined it for me!

  38. g.... g....

    i love this song enough for both of us Oly.

  39. S.... H....

    Ok, wow, does this song sound like "Darling Nikki"??

    S.... H....

    Seth Harris It's the other way 'round

  40. G.... ....

    i do not like this song

    G.... ....

    The song is great! Impossible to dislike, So Quit being superficial!

    G.... ....

    I personally prefer his acoustic demo or the live performances which are more like a combination of the demo and this recording.

    G.... ....

    It's great "but you don't wanna hear about that "

    G.... ....

    Yeah! "There's A Smart Young Woman On A Light Blue Screen Who Comes Into My House Every Night..She Takes All The Red Yellow Orange And Green And Turns Them Into Black And White".

    G.... ....

    Fake American accent? That's a new one.

  41. J.... B....

    Always loved this song.

  42. J.... K....

    Red, yellow, orange and green, turned into b&w. Tease. Flirt. Cut out all identifying labels.

  43. D.... S....

    The art-deco animation & framing is quintessential 80's. Loved it.

  44. S.... ....

    Not really a music video but a compilation of bits from the earlier videos.

  45. R.... S....

    I love the song and music video.