Pretty Words
Elvis CostelloVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
I ask you nicely
Get my face slapped under wraps
What's going on precisely
Is there something wrong perhaps?
Surprise, surprise (surprise, surprise)
It's more like a booby trap than a booby prize
Civil disobedience from a soldier with a dirty rifle
You're loosening all the screws that hold the hinges of my life
Fat cats and army brats
Hep cats in dog tag pawing over girly mags
Pretty words don't mean much anymore
I don't mean to be mean much anymore
All I see are snapshots, bigshots, tender spots
(1) mug shots, machine slots
(2) machine slots, mug shots
'Till you don't know what's what
You don't know what you got
Curious women running after curious men
Curiosity didn't kill the cat
It was a poisoned pen
But there's not much choice (it's Hobson's choice)
Between a cruel mouth and a jealous voice
Got back to London
Picked a paper from the man
No words of consolation
Just cartoons and titter tatter
Well well, fancy that
Millions murdered for a kiss me quick hat
No backbone, blood and guts
Better keep your big mouth shut
(Chorus)
You don't know what you got . . . .
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Readable chord sheet for Pretty Words by Elvis Costello
I[G] ask you nicely G[D]et my f[Em]ace slapp[F]ed u[C]nder wraps W[G]hat's going on precisely I[D]s there so[Em]mething wrong perhaps? S[C]urprise, su[D7]rpri[G]se (surprise, surprise) [D] [C]It's more like a b[D7]ooby[G] trap than [D]a booby prize [Em] [D] C[G]ivil disobedience from a soldier with a di[D]rty rif[Em]le [F] [C] Y[G]ou're loosening all the screws that hold the hinges of[D] my lif[Em]e F[C]at cats and[D7] arm[G]y brats H[C]ep cats in[D7] dog[G] tag pawi[D]ng over girly ma[Em]gs [F] [C] P[G]retty words don't me[F]an much anymor[Bm]e [C#m] [D] [E6] I[G] don't mean to be me[Bb]an much anymore [Em] [F#m] A[G]ll I see are sn[C]apshots, bigshots, tender spots (1) mug shots, machine slots (2) machine slots, mug shots 'Till you don't know what's what Y[Em]ou d[F]on'[C]t know what you got C[G]urious women running after curio[D]us men[Em] [F] [C] C[G]uriosity didn't kill the cat I[D]t was a po[Em]isoned pen B[C]ut there's not mu[D7]ch ch[G]oice (it's Hobson's choi[D]ce) B[C]etween a [D7]crue[G]l mouth and [D]a jealous voice [Em] [D] G[G]ot back to London P[D]icked a pa[Em]per from the man N[G]o words of consolation J[D]ust cart[Em]oons and titter tatter W[C]ell well, f[D7]ancy[G] that M[C]illions murdered fo[D7]r a [G]kiss me quick hat [C] N[G]o backbone, blood and guts B[D]etter keep your big m[Em]outh shu[F]t (Chorus) Y[F]ou don't know wh[C]at you got . . [G]. .