Song Lyrics

We used to call it Sin City
Now it's gone way past that.
Painting the town
And then burning it down.
And even that's old hat.
Now there' a choir of angles
And the fall of Rome
Singing "Ave Maria"
Or "Home Sweet Home"

[Chorus:]
It's just a heathen town
I hear only evil
As my tongue is tightened.
I used to be god-fearing
Now I'm so frightened
'cause the devil will drag you under
By the sharp tailfin
Of your checkered cab (?)
Now I can't sit down,
I'm going overboard
In this heathen town.

Starts as an a flirtation
And ends up as an expensive habit.
With one eye on her place in debtor's
And the other on a girl
Dressed as a rabbit.
Now you can live forever
In your fits and starts
The only stake you cannot raise
Is the one driven through your heart.

[Chorus]

The people all said sit down,
Sit down you're rocking the boat.
The people all said sit down,
Sit down you're rocking the boat.
Cause the devil will drag you under
By the sharp lapels of your checkered coat.
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,
Sit down you're rocking the boat.

Elvis Costello

The duration of Heathen Town [*] is 3:10 minutes and seconds.