Lyrics We Are All Cowards Now - Elvis Costello

We Are All Cowards Now

Time has taught us
That they’re sending out their sons
To take away our guns and our daughters
We are all cowards now
Rivers rising
Darkness fell upon
People blotting out the sun disguising
How we’re all cowards now
At least the Emperor Nero had an ear for music
But that’s history
Caligula said, «God's speed, my steed»
But that’s his story
They’re coming for our Peacemakers
Our Winchesters and Colts
The rattle of our Gatling Guns
Our best cowboy revolts and threats and insults
We’re all cowards now
The emptiness of arms
The openness of thighs
The pornography of bullets
And the promises and prizes can’t disguise
We are all cowards now
They’re draping stones with colours
And a roll of stolen names
Except those we never cared about
And those we need to blame
We’ll extinguish that flame, just the same
We are all cowards now
Arms are empty
The pornography of plenty
Count commands from one to ten
Number sins from ten to twenty
There’s an illusion we believe in
There is honour in their need
Pretty confetti, chemical debt
And a necessity to bleed
My fears too fleet to scupper
My prayers too thin to scream
On my lover’s back a zipper
On her limb a straightened seam
So, close the windows tightly
Lower lamps and shades
On the screen, silent rehearsals
For tomorrow’s parades
For tomorrow’s parades
For tomorrow’s parades
We are all cowards now