All This Useless Beauty
Elvis CostelloVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
It's at times such as this she'd be tempted to spit
If she wasn't so ladylike
She imagines how she might have lived
back when legends and history collide
So she looks to her prince finding since he's so charmingly
slumped at her side
Those days are recalled on the gallery wall
And she's waiting for passion or humor to strike
What shall we do, what shall we do with all this useless beauty?
All this useless beauty
Good Friday arrived, the sky darkened on time
'Til he almost began to negotiate
She held his head like a baby and said "It's okay if you cry"
Now he wants her to dress as if you couldn't guess
He desires to impress his associates
But he's part ugly beast and Hellenic deceased
So she finds that the mixture is hard to deny
She won't practice the looks from the great tragic books
That were later disgraced to face celluloid
It won't even make sense but you can bet
If she isn't a sweetheart or plaything or pet
The film turns her into an unveiled threat
Nonsense prevails, modesty fails
Grace and virtue turn into stupidity
While the calendar fades almost all barricades to a pale compromise
And our leaders have feasts on the backsides of beasts
They still think they're the gods of antiquity
If something you missed didn't even exist
It was just an ideal -- is it such a surprise?
Chorus
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Readable chord sheet for All This Useless Beauty by Elvis Costello
It's at t[D]imes such as this she'd be te[D/C#]mpted to spit
[Bm]If she wasn't so l[D7]ady[A]like
She im[G]agines how she might have [D/F#]lived
back when legends and hi[Em]story [Em/F#]collide [Em/G] [A]
So she lo[D]oks to her prince f[D/C#]inding since he's so cha[Bm]rmingly
slumped at her [D7]sid[A]e
Those d[G]ays are recalled on the ga[D/F#]llery wall
And she's wai[Bm]ting for p[Bm/A]assion or hu[E]mor to strike
Wh[A]at shall we do, what sh[G]all we do with all this useless beauty?
A[G]ll this use[A]less b[D]eauty
Good Fr[D]iday arrived, the sky d[D/C#]arkened on time
'Til he al[Bm]most began to neg[D7]oti[A]ate
[G]She held his head like a[D/F#] baby and said "It's o[Em]kay [Em/F#]if [Em/G]you cry" [A]
Now he wan[D]ts her to dress as if [D/C#]you couldn't guess
He de[Bm]sires to impress his ass[D7]oci[A]ates
But he's p[G]art ugly beast and H[D/F#]ellenic deceased
So she fi[Bm]nds that the m[Bm/A]ixture is h[E]ard to deny
She won't pra[C]ctice the looks from the gre[D]at tragic b[G]ooks
[G] [G/f#] [Em]
That were later disgraced to face celluloid
It won't e[C]ven make sense b[D]ut you can b[G]et
If she i[C]sn't a sweetheart or pl[D]aything or [G]pet
The f[C]ilm turns her into an u[A]nveiled threat
No[D]nsense prevails, m[D/C#]odesty fails
Grace and vi[Bm]rtue turn into stup[A]idity
While the c[G]alendar fades almost [D/F#]all barricades to a [Em]pale [Em/F#]compromi[Em/G]se [A]
And our l[D]eaders have feasts on the [D/C#]backsides of beasts
They still t[Bm]hink they're the gods of ant[A]iquity
If s[G]omething you missed didn't [D/F#]even exist
It was j[Bm]ust an [Bm/A]ideal -- is it s[E]uch a surprise?
Chorus [x2]