Everyday I Write the Book

Everyday I Write the Book - Elvis Costello Lyrics

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 on two or three editions.



And I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday

everyday

everyday

everyday I write the book.

Chapter One: We didn't really get along.

Chapter Two: I think I fell in love with you.

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



But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four

Five and Six.

And I'm giving you a longing look . ..

The way you walk

the way you talk and try to kiss me

And laugh in four or five paragraphs.

All your compliments and your cutting remarks

Are captured here in my quotation marks.



And I'm giving you a longing look . . .

Everyday I write the book.

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

Between a lover and a fighter.

With my pen and my electric typewriter

Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal

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



And I'm giving you a longing look . . .

Everyday

everyday

everyday I write the book.

Everyday

everyday

everyday

everyday I write the book. . . .