Words To Live By

"We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody & they don't have books, don't fuck them."
John Waters

Don't tell me you don't know what love is

When you're old enough to know better

When you find strange hands in your sweater

When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote

I'm a man with a mission in 2 or 3 editions

& I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Chapter 1 we didn't really get along

Chapter 2 I think I fell in love with you

You said you'd stand by me in the middle
 of Chapter 3

But you were up to your old tricks in
 Chapters 4, 5 & 6

The way you walk

The way you talk, & try to kiss me, & laugh

In 4 or 5 paragraphs

All your compliments & your cutting remarks

Are captured here in my quotation marks

& I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Don't tell me you don't know the difference

Between a lover & a fighter

With my pen & my electric typewriter

Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal

I'd still own the film rights
 & be working on the sequel

& I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Elvis Costello

1983