National Ransom. Elvis Costello

Excerpt from National Ransom, the title track from Elvis Costello’s latest.

They’re running wild
Just like some childish tantrum
Meanwhile we’re working every day
Paying off the National Ransom
Woe betide all this hocus-pocus
They’re running us ragged at
their first attempt
Around the time the killing stopped on Wall St.
You couldn’t hold me, baby with anything but contempt

Letters peal slowly from our speech
The claxton attempts to preach
Stretching for stars still out of reach
Drowning
Flailing
Outside someone’s wailing

They’re running wild
Just like some childish tantrum
Meanwhile we’re working every day
Paying off the National Ransom