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

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 snatched 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
It's just like watching the detectives
Oh, 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
They're watching the detectives
They're watching the detectives
Watching the detectives


Lyrics submitted by mourninghasbroken, edited by ljadwin, DocMarten, tdg, GordianPiusIII, blade9

Watching the Detectives Lyrics as written by Elvis Costello

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Watching the Detectives song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation

    This is a song about cops busting a cocaine den:

    "Nice girls, not one with a defect / Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct"

    that's the shrink-wrapped bags of cocaine, the "illegal x" is two lines of cocaine arranged in a X shape.

    "Invisible shivers running down my spine" this is the drug induced extasy, "dragging the lake", the sign says "we never close" because pushers are always available.

    "You think you're alone until you realize you're in it/Now baby's here to stay, love is here for a visit": you think you can quit any time you want until you realize "you're in it" and "baby (the cocaine) is here to stay". "Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay/It only took my little fingers to blow you away" the drug is very expensive to acquire but is gone in a moment "blown away" (in your nose).

    tdgon January 31, 2014   Link

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