Elvis Costello - The Other Side of Summer Lyrics

The sun struggles up another beautiful day
And I felt glad in my own suspicious way
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Despite the contradiction and confusion
Felt tragic without reason
There's malice and there's magic in every season

From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The other side of summer
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of summer

The automatic gates close up between the shanties and the palace
The blowtorch amusements, the voodoo chalice
The pale pathetic promises that everybody swallows
The teenage girl is crying 'cos she don't look like a million dollars
So help her if you can
'Cos she don't seem to have the attention span

From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The other side of summer
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of summer

Was it a millionaire who said, "Imagine no possessions"?
A poor little schoolboy who said, "We don't need no lessons"?
The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop
The pop princess is downtown shooting up
And if that goddess is fit for burning
The sun will struggle up the world will still keep turning

Madman standing by the side of the road saying
"Look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes"
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Now you can't afford to fake
All the drugs your parents used to take
Because of their mistakes you'd better be wide awake

From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The other side of summer
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of summer

The mightiest rose, the absence of perfume
The casual killers, the military curfew
The cardboard city and the unwanted birthday
The other side of summer

The dancing was desperate, the music was worse
They bury your dreams and dig up the worthless
Goodnight, God bless and kiss "Goodbye" to the earth
The other side of summer, the other side of summer
The other side of summer, the other side of summer
The other side of summer, the other side of summer
The other side, other side, other side, other