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We Are All Cowards Now Lyrics by Elvis Costello

Hey Clockface

2020

[Verse 1]
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

[Bridge]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Bridge]
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

[Verse 3]
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

About “We Are All Cowards Now” by Elvis Costello

Read the complete lyrics to "We Are All Cowards Now" by Elvis Costello from the album "Hey Clockface" in 2020. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock, Adult Contemporary.

"We Are All Cowards Now" is performed by Elvis Costello. from the album "Hey Clockface" in 2020 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "We Are All Cowards Now", explore more songs by Elvis Costello using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"We Are All Cowards Now" is credited to Elvis Costello. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"We Are All Cowards Now" appears on "Hey Clockface" in 2020.

Visit the Elvis Costello artist page at /artist/elvis-costello for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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