Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Nice girls, not one with a defect
Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal x
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
[Chorus]
She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot at that jumping sign
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says "We never close"
He snatches at you and you match his cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
Oh when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
Just like watching the detectives
Don't get cute
Just like watching the detectives
I get so angry when the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Watching the detectives
It's just like watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal x
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
[Chorus]
She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Long shot at that jumping sign
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut to baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says "We never close"
He snatches at you and you match his cigarette
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
She is watching the detectives
"Ooh, he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives
Oh when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
They beat him up until the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It only took my little fingers to blow you away
Just like watching the detectives
Don't get cute
Just like watching the detectives
I get so angry when the teardrops start
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Watching the detectives
It's just like watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives
Lyrics submitted by mourninghasbroken, edited by ljadwin
Track duration: 03:47
"Watching the Detectives" as written by Elvis Costello
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
All of the comments speculating on the song's reference to film or TV are spot on, but missing one fun detail.
Elvis told the story that he was dating an attractive lady. He had made the mistake of putting a TV in the bedroom. Frequently when Elvis made amorous advances he found himself rebuffed by his lady who would say "Not Now honey, I'm 'watching the detectives' ".
Think of the line:
She's filing her nails while their dragging the lake
Who hasn't seen a lady lounging in front of the TV and filing her nails?
So all of the TV/Movie guesses are correct, but the missing detail is that the song is a tongue in cheek reference to Elvis missing out on some lady time because she was a fan of a TV show.
I finally figured it out. My mind went to the underage girl or general vixen like everyone else, but I had an epiphany after listening to this song a solid 200 times.
It's security dogs, hound dogs to be exact, and they're often considered "red" in dog coat terms. Someone is trespassing and there are security dogs under (illegal) trespassing legs.
As far who is trespassing (to kill, based on the song), I think it's the female. I think she's getting revenge for what a male did to her, but I'll leave that interpreting to others.
Nice girls not one with a defect,
cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs
She looks so good that he gets down and begs
that means he's looking through the magazine thinking WOAH they're hott and then stalks one of them.
Chorus
the girl he's stalking is a murderer and the detectives find the dead body.
Long shot of that jumping sign,
Invisible shivers running down my spine
Cut the baby taking off her clothes
Close-up of the sign that says,"We never close"
You snatch tune, you a match a cigarette,
She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
he has imagines having sex with the girl
Chorus
he realises that she is a killer
You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Now fear is here to stay, Love is here for a visit
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Someone's scratching at the window. I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay,
it only took my little fingers to blow you away
the detectives find out that the real killer was the girl he was stalking, and they look for the girl at his house. it turns out that he killed the girl he was stalking(it only took my little fingers to blow you away).
Just like watching the detectives
Don't get cute
It's just like watching the detectives
I get so angry when the teardrops start,
but he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
Watching the detectives
It's just like watching the detectives
Now they're investigating HER death, and he is angry at her because she killed a close friend/relative of his.
First, we've got "Nice girls not one with a defect, / cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct"... reminds me of Bickle's obsession with going to adult film houses (perfect porn stars).
"Red dogs under illegal legs / She looks so good that he gets down and begs" reminds me of Bickle's scene with Iris, where he tries to convince her to quit prostitution (she's underage).
"You think you're alone until you realize you're in it / Now fear is here to stay, Love is here for a visit": Bickle's isolation, his fears surrounding the seediness of NYC, "Visit" = paying Iris for her time... or, his realization that there is some good in the world (Betsy and Iris)
"They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit / Someone's scratching at the window. I wonder who is it?" Bickle's massacre at the end makes him hailed as a hero... "Scratching at the window" reminds me of the perspective of the people on the other side of the door to the brothel, right before he's about to storm in.
"The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents / who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance" Iris is a runaway... her parents had filed her as a missing person... Detectives clearly bring her to her parents.
"Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay, it only took my little fingers to blow you away" Doesn't Bickle lose some fingers or get shot in the arm during his spree? Plus... Little fingers... Trigger... But "blow away" as in send you away from danger. Though I agree with the whole finger-blasting sexual innuendo.
Aside from that it is always great to hear white artists do reggae to such a skillful degree. Heavy bass lines held tight with the drums and the classic reggae guitar strummed on the off beat mixed with Elvis' cool voice and great lyrics.