Big Tears
Elvis Costello
Regarding the chorus lyrics - they are always published as “When you’re lying in your coffin” but to me it really sounds like he goes back and forth between “When you’re lying in your coffin” and “When you’re lying and you’re coughin’ ” - so sing it either way. [Intro] x4 [Verse] Everyone is busy with the regular routine The sniper just takes his aim Everyone is window shopping no one is amazed Even if he hits you you’d still think it’s just a graze You go to a movie you go to a show You think that you’re living you don’t really know [Chorus] Big tears mean nothing You can count them as they fall Big tears mean nothing When you’re lying in your coffin Tell me who’s been taken in [Verse] Oh you talk about the new boss automatic clause But of course they make it all up for you Always fascinated by the weird edge of town Come home disappointed every time they put you down Laughing with the old boys saying that it’s all noise [Chorus] I suppose big tears mean nothing You can count them as they fall Big tears mean nothing When you’re lying in your coffin Tell me who’s been taken in [Verse] All the buttons of my overcoat They have fallen off one by one You wouldn’t even like me if you’d never had a drink You wouldn’t even like me if you never stopped to think Standing in the shadow turning wives to widows [Chorus] Don’t you know big tears mean nothing You can count them as they fall Big tears mean nothing When you’re lying and you’re coughin’ Tell me who’s been taken in Tell me who’s been taken in Tell me who me or you’s been taken in Tell me tell me tell me