Declan Patrick MacManus was born August 25, 1954, in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in London, England, moving to Birkenhead (the birthplace of his father, musician Ronald "Russ" MacManus) with his widowed mother at age 16. He is better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, a popular British musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry. Some sources list his full given name as Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus, however Aloysius was not one of his names at birth, being added years later. Costello was an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and alongside Nick Loweand Ian Durymade his first releases on the independant label Stiff, tailoring his work towards the punkand new wavescenes. From 1980's Armed Forcesonwards, however, other influences including soul, country, 60s pop and classical music began to re-emerge, and he soon became established as a unique and original voice.
last.fm page
Similar Artists
Black & White World Lyrics
Elvis Costello
I was looking at the black and white world
It seemed so exciting
If youd only put me back to back with that girl
When the nights inviting
With just a little lighting
Therell never be days like that again
When I was just a boy and men were men
You never go from moment to moment
Youre the living double of a single fiction
Youre very colourful with your compliments
As you feel the fingers friction
Its a freeze-frame
Still its real life
You dont want to look
Cause youve seen the film and youve read the book
I was looking at the black and white world
Trying to name some pin-up
Those days she was just a beautiful girl
Now shes framed and hung up
I thought she was young
Up until I saw her last night in close detail
Though they all fade away when youre so pale
Its more than just a physical attraction
It starts with a face and ends up a fixation
But youre never gonna feel a fraction
Of the way it used to work on your imagination
When you were looking at the black and white world...