COSTELLO ELVIS - "Suffering Face" Tablature

Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 10:08:49 -0400
From: "Denis J. O'Connell" <denis@natural.com>

Suffering Face
by Elvis Costello
From "The King of America" Reissue
Transcribed by Denis O'Connell (denis@natural.com)

E B7 A E
There's an old man's fantasy put in a young girl's mouth
C#m G#m A E
like cheap pink lipstick smeared on a wedding dress
C#m G#m
Will you look what you've done to her,
A
will you look at this disgrace.
E B7 A E f# g# A
Oh, it's all over your suffering face.
E f# g# A

E B7
If we were chrome we would be rusted,
A E
if we were thirst we would be quenched.
C#m G#m
You don't need the same old rivet gun,
A E
you need a brand new wrench.
C#m G#m
Someone to pull you down on the ground
A
and cover you with kisses.
E A
Once I was the jewel of your heart,

now I'm only semi-precious.

C#m G#m A
But if I seem so preoccupied,
C#m G#m A E
it's just my alibi, I'm all broken up inside.
C#m G#m A E
Even the words of love, seem cruel and crass,
C#m G#m A Asus A
when you're tough and transparent as armored glass.
E B7 A E
I prepared a bed for you, then I sprayed perfume
C#m G#m A E
upon the wilted roses that I'd scattered 'round the room.
C#m G#m
You came in gentle as a lamb,
A E
and turned into a terror.
E B7 A
and you left your "love another" threats in the steam
Asus A
fading on my bathroom mirror.

E B7 A E
But it's an old man's fantasy put in a young girl's mouth
C#m G#m A E
like cheap pink lipstick smeared on a wedding dress.
C#m G#m A E
Will you look what you've done to me,
A E
now you've put me in my place.
E B7
and it's all over,
C#m
it's all over,
E B7
it's all over
A
your suffering face.
Finish on E

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is my first attempt at an Elvis transcription, so if anyone has any corrections or comments please feel free to update my chords (I know there are more than a few mistakes in it.) I have used the notation that has been common for these transcriptions : a lowercase letter means play the bass note, but keep the previous chord formation. For example, after the first verse I play the E chrord regularly, and use my thumb to play the bass notes quickly.
From reading the CD liner notes, it seems that Elvis was kind of drunk when he recorded this song. I think that it gives his voice a sort of slurry quality that fits this song perfectly, plus I always love it when it is just Elvis accompanying himself on the guitar. He also steals a line from "Crimes of Paris" (or did "Crimes of Paris" steal it from this song), when he talks about "the words of love".
Please enjoy and keep those other transcriptions coming!
- Denis



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Denis J. O'Connell \_ \_ \_ denis@natural.com
Natural Intelligence, Inc. \_\_\_ \_ tel (617) 876-7680 x1257
\_ \__ \_ fax (617) 492-7425
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