Lyrics of Elvis Costello's "Pidgin English," as written, compared with the Taiwanese bootleg liner note version (courtesy of David Mogolov)

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Lyrics of Elvis Costello's "Pidgin English," as written, compared with the Taiwanese bootleg liner note version (courtesy of David Mogolov)

 

Taiwanese

There's a jungle with the old man
Who's took sit to mention
To be turnin' 27
Then she drosen within' expensive
But she couldn't catch she come and go
He couldn't get rested
Too terrified to once
effect
To touched every system

Make make life
please me
And make suspicion
When they said a night
party
Show no one she said
Hundred gonna saying in magic politic in
blue jean
A chew dust falling rain a
rest
Celebrate and cheer it


When every thousand that he said
You're the champ remain friendship love
when will you realize
They are think
of man was silver?

I believe that trust that promises
Will shows just the double way
Kiss in this pidgin english

If you saw why she should lives in your eyes
Take to breeze
in sky

You go cheap cheap
a chain ball eyes
in blaster
Stippers you call gives kind of the must
Keep on you own backyard
To the land of excited
Keep on truth excited in your reticular take on

Silent is golden
Many talks stammer in
urgent
there's a winnin' spinnin'
Telling and Jammin'
In some language post call
Celebrate and
cheer it
Hey you forgotten how to said
In your pidgin english

English

There's a young girl with her old man
Who's too sick to mention
She'll be turning 27
As she draws her widow's pension
But he couldn't catch a common cold
He couldn't get arrested
Too terrified to answer back
Too tired to have resisted

Many hands make light work
Shorthand makes life easy
When he's out on night work
Make sure no one sees me
It all ends up in a slanging match with body talk and bruises
A change is better than a rest
Silly, beggars can't be choosers

One of a thousand pities you can't categorize
There are ten commandments of love
When will you realize
There are ten commandments of love?

I believe, I trust,
I promise,
I wish love's just a throwaway kiss
In this pidgin english

If you're so wise use your lips and your eyes
Take it to the bridge she sighs

You go cheep cheep cheep between bulleyes and bluster
Stiff as your poker face
Keener than mustard
From your own back yard to the land of exotica
From the truth society to neurotic erotica

Silence is golden
Money talks diamonds and ermine
There's a word in spanish
Italian and german
In sign language, morse code, semaphore and gibberish
Have you forgotten how to say it
In your pidgin english?