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How To Be Dumb

Elvis Costello
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
I  was hell-bent on destroying my powers of concentration
 While  you were living like a saint
And  all the time the very one you trusted
 Was washing  off somebody else's paint
Now  you've got yourself a brand new occupation
 Every  fleeting thought is a pearl
 And beautiful  people stampede through the doorway of
 The funniest  fucker of the world
They're  here to help you
Satisfy  your desire
 There's a bright future  for all you professional liars
 Now you know how  to be dumb
 Are you ready  to take your place  in
 The modern  museum of  mistakes?
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
 Like a building  thrown up overnight
 In one  of those reverse  earthquakes
They  emptied out all the asylums,
They  emptied out all the goals
The  "New Bruise" was the name of the dance craze
 By "Jesus  Cross and the Cruel Nails"
Followed  up by "Tortouzring Little Beaver"
 With  their contraption of barbed wire
Between  the fear and the fever lies
All  the rejection they require
They'll  be howling by midnight,
They'll  be drooling by dawn
 Skulls shrunk down to the size of their brains
 Heads shaven and shorn
 Now you know how  to be dumb
 Are you ready  to take your place  in
 The modern  museum of  mistakes?
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
 Like a building  thrown up overnight
 In one  of those reverse  earthquakes
 Trapped  in the house of the Perpetual Sucker
 Where bitterness  always ends so pityful
You  always had to dress up your envy in
 Some  half-remembered philosophy
 Now  you're masquerading as pale powdered genius
 Whose every  bad intention has been purged
You  could've walked out any time you wanted
 But face  it you didn't have the courage
I  guess that makes you a full time hypocrite
 Or some  kind of twisted dilletante
 Funny  though people don't usually get so ugly
 'Til they think  they know what they want
Scratch  you own head stupid
Count  up to three
Roll  over on your back
 Repeat after me
 Don't you know how  to be dumb
 Are you ready  to take your place  in
 The modern  museum of  mistakes?
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
 Like a building  thrown up overnight
 In one  of those reverse  earthquakes
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
Don't  you know how  to be dumb?
 Seite 1 von 3

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Readable chord sheet for How To Be Dumb by Elvis Costello

[G]I was hell-bent on destroying my powers of concentration
Wh[D]ile you were living like a saint
[G]And all the time the very one you trusted
Was wa[Em]shing off somebody else's p[Bm]aint

[G]Now you've got yourself a brand new occupation
Ev[D]ery fleeting thought is a pearl
And beau[G]tiful people stampede through the doorway of
The fu[Em]nniest fucker of the w[Bm]orld

[F]They're here to help you
[Dm]Satisfy your de[Bm]sire
There's a bright future[C] for all you professional li[G]ars

Now you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb
Are you re[G]ady to take your pl[C]ace in
The m[G/B]odern museum [D]of mistakes?
[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
Like a bui[G]lding thrown up ove[C]rnight
In [G/B]one of those rev[D]erse earthquakes

[G]They emptied out all the asylums,
[D]They emptied out all the goals
[G]The "New Bruise" was the name of the dance craze
By "J[Em]esus Cross and the Cruel N[Bm]ails"
[G]Followed up by "Tortouzring Little Beaver"
W[D]ith their contraption of barbed wire
[G]Between the fear and the fever lies
[Em]All the  rejection they re[Bm]quire

[F]They'll be howling by midnight,
[Dm]They'll be drooling by d[Bm]awn
Skulls shrunk down to the size of their br[C]ains
Heads shaven and sh[G]orn

Now you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb
Are you re[G]ady to take your pl[C]ace in
The m[G/B]odern museum [D]of mistakes?
[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
Like a bui[G]lding thrown up ove[C]rnight
In [G/B]one of those rev[D]erse earthquakes

Tr[Em]apped in the house of the Perpetual Sucker
Where bitt[C]erness always ends so pi[D]tyful
[Em]You always had to dress up your envy in
S[C]ome half-remembered phil[D]osophy

N[G]ow you're masquerading as pale powdered genius
Whose e[D]very bad intention has been purged
[G]You could've walked out any time you wanted
But f[Em]ace it you didn't have the co[Bm]urage
[G]I guess that makes you a full time hypocrite
Or s[D]ome kind of twisted dilletante
Fu[G]nny though people don't usually get so ugly
'Til they t[Em]hink they know what they w[Bm]ant

[F]Scratch you own head stupid
[Dm]Count up to three
[Bm]Roll over on your b[C]ack
Repeat after [G]me

Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb
Are you re[G]ady to take your pl[C]ace in
The m[G/B]odern museum [D]of mistakes?
[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
Like a bui[G]lding thrown up ove[C]rnight
In [G/B]one of those rev[D]erse earthquakes

[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
[G]Don't you know h[C]ow to be d[D]umb?
Seite 1 von 3

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