Today’s slow drag is with “The Town Where Time Stood Still” from, well, a few places: “Imperial Bedroom,” “Goodbye Cruel World,” sans a verse or two, and ultimately released in 1995 on the Rykodisc reissue of “Punch the Clock.” The songwriting, and everything else except for drum loop, is credited to Elvis Costello.

Show Notes:

Appreciation written, produced, and narrated by Remedy Robinson, MA/MFA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/slowdragremedy

Email: slowdragwithremedy@gmail.com

Podcast music by https://www.fesliyanstudios.com

Rate this Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/slowdrag

References:

Elvis Costello Wiki Resource, “The Town Where Time Stood Still”: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/The_Town_Where_Time_Stood_Still

“The Town Where Time Stood Still”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI69GMlMNVU (demo version)

“Almost Persuaded” by David Houston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbN4r4y3AIY

Purchase “The Most Terrible Time in My Life…Ends Thursday” https://www.amazon.com/Most-Terrible-Time-Life-Thursday-ebook/dp/B07XLXS5PL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Y4SGCT62WPEK&dchild=1&keywords=the+most+terrible+time+in+my+life+ends+thursday&qid=1608873405&sprefix=The+Most+Terrible+Time+in+%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1

 

"The Town Where Time Stood Still" Lyrics:

I made my selection from the lonely hit parade

In the town where time stood still

I was feeling very little pain

Until some joker played "Almost Persuaded"

Now every girl I see

Looks so much prettier to me

My faithfulness has faded

 

And their looks are sharp as daggers

And the conversation heated

Since the boys have all been laid off

And are walking round defeated

In the town where time stood still

 

Somebody in charge must have pretended

That the future's been suspended

And I say I don't want trouble

But I find myself back in it

In the town where time stood still

I am the man of the minute

 

Teach me to say "I love you"

They’ll teach you to say "You will do"

In the town where time stood still

Or maybe I can find a little girl

To wind me up with all the usual skills

 

There's nothing else to do but rearrange somebody's features (futures)

And trap your figures in the till 

The bar is full of girls just like the creature with the curse

And the food is just like cabaret or vice versa

In the town where time stood still

 

Just as my heart went down sinking

I found the town was shrinking

And suddenly I saw her through the smoke and empty beers

In the town where time stood still

She might have well have waited years

 

Now I suppose we did some things we used to do

But no amount of darkness could ever turn her into you

 

And so I woke up in the town where time stood still

With a headache and a heartache

And a handful of pills

A welcome mat, a scandal rag, and unpaid bills

 

With her head inside her handbag

The sign says "please wait to be seated"

I only want a cup of coffee

I know you can't have your cake and eat it

In the town where time stood still

 

Did you hear the news today?

It's all bad, did I tell you how I left her so sad?

With a headache and a heartache

And an hour or two to kill

I only wish we were together

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still

In the town where time stood still