Elvis Costello
Lyric guide

The World and His Wife (Live)

Read The World and His Wife (Live) lyrics by Elvis Costello on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Elvis Costello Canonical path: /elvis-costello/the-world-and-his-wife-live Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

The World and His Wife (Live)

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(Alternate Slower Version, Submitted by Craig Ciccone)

The family circle gathers 'round from very far and near

To pass around the same remarks they passed away last year

The little girl you dangled on your knee without mishap

Stirs something in your memory and something in your lap

(Chorus)

The juniper berry has a very deadly kiss

I would say that something here is very much amiss

But it's a living and this is the life

For the world and his wife

The world and his wife

The kissing cousins step outside to cuddle and confess

She says sweet nothing at all, it's much more of a mess

She says, "Our Mother and someone else's Father

Went for two weeks holiday in Tarmasalata."

Daddy went out the rubbish and he kept on walking

Between Mum and the walls, God only knows who does the talking

Chorus

The conversation melts like chocolate down our open jaws

Through the loud appeal of laughter and the counting of [?]

And later on in the evening, through the tears and fol de rol

Come the sentimental feelings for the lure of vitriol

Longing thoughts go hankering for the old home overseas

With a blindfold and a national anthem sung in different keys

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Who performs "The World and His Wife (Live)"?

Elvis Costello performs "The World and His Wife (Live)", and this lyric page sits inside the Elvis Costello catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The World and His Wife (Live)"?

Yes. The related section below points to All This Useless Beauty and Beautiful with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Elvis Costello?

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