London's Brilliant
Elvis Costello Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Outside my window
Not long before sleep arrives
They come with their sirens
And they sweep away all the boys
Busy draining the joy from their lives
They never said their prayers out loud
And while I'm dreaming
There's a passing motor car
That broadcasts a popular song
And a girl appears to be saying
"Do you think that I'm gonna go far?"

Just look at me, I'm having the time of my life
Or something quite like it
When I'm walking out and about
In London's brilliant parade

She's one of those girls that you just can't place
You feel guilty desiring such an innocent face
But of course they knew that when they cast her
Along with the red Routemaster
And the film takes place in an MGB
And a perfect re-creation of "The Speakeasy"
Everybody looks happy and twisted
Though she probably never existed
For old times' sake
Don't let me awake
I wouldn't want you to walk across Hungerford Bridge
Especially at twilight
Looking through the bolts and the girders
Into the water below
You'll never find your answer there
They sounded the "all-clear" in the occidental bazaar
They used to call Oxford Street
Now the bankrupt souls in the city are finally tasting defeat

Don't look at me, I'm having the time of my life
Or something quite like it
When I'm walking out and about
In London's brilliant parade
When I'm walking out and about
In London's brilliant parade

From the gates of St. Mary's, there were horses in Olympia
And a trolley bus in Fulham Broadway
The lions and the tigers in Regents Park
Couldn't pay their way
And now they're not the only ones
At the Hammersmith Palais
In Kensington and Camden Town
There's a part that I used to play
The lovely Diorama is really part of the drama, I'd say

Just look at me, I'm having the time of my life
Or something quite like it
When I'm walking out and about
In London's brilliant parade

Just look at me, I'm having the time of my life
Or something quite like it




When I'm walking out and about
In London's brilliant parade

Overall Meaning

In Elvis Costello's song "London's Brilliant Parade," the lyrics describe the bustling streets of London and the conflicting emotions they evoke in the singer. The song opens with the sound of sirens outside the window, drawing attention to the harsh realities of city life. The boys that the singer sees seem to be drained of their happiness, perhaps lost in the pressures of the city. As the singer drifts off to sleep, a passing motor car plays a popular song and a girl's voice asks if she will go far.


The song continues to describe the singer's experiences walking through the streets of London, referencing various landmarks and places. The singer is particularly drawn to a girl who seems innocent and pure, but also desirable. The girl appears in a film set in a perfect re-creation of "The Speakeasy," a famous nightclub in the city. The song then takes a darker turn towards the end, as the singer warns against looking for answers in the water below Hungerford Bridge while the city is in financial crisis.


Overall, the lyrics of "London's Brilliant Parade" describe both the joys and the struggles of life in a bustling city. The singer seems both enamored and disenchanted with London, seeing its beauty and its flaws at the same time.


Line by Line Meaning

Outside my window
As I look out my window before going to sleep


Not long before sleep arrives
Right before I go to sleep


They come with their sirens
Emergency vehicles with sirens are heard


And they sweep away all the boys
They take away all the boys, perhaps to jail or the hospital


Busy draining the joy from their lives
These emergency services are taking away the happiness from the boys' lives


They never said their prayers out loud
The boys who were taken away probably didn't pray aloud


And while I'm dreaming
While I'm asleep and dreaming


There's a passing motor car
A car drives by


That broadcasts a popular song
The car is playing a popular song loudly


And a girl appears to be saying
In the song, a girl can be heard saying


"Do you think that I'm gonna go far?"
"Do you think I will become successful?"


She's one of those girls that you just can't place
The girl in the song is hard to categorize


You feel guilty desiring such an innocent face
The singer feels guilty for finding the girl attractive


But of course they knew that when they cast her
The people who cast the girl in the song knew she would be attractive


Along with the red Routemaster
The girl is presented along with a red Routemaster (a type of bus)


And the film takes place in an MGB
The story in the song occurs in an MGB (a type of car)


And a perfect re-creation of "The Speakeasy"
The setting of the story is a perfect recreation of a place called "The Speakeasy"


Everybody looks happy and twisted
Everyone in the story seems happy, but also a little strange


Though she probably never existed
The girl from the song is most likely not a real person


For old times' sake
Out of nostalgia


Don't let me awake
Don't wake me up from my dream


I wouldn't want you to walk across Hungerford Bridge
The artist advises against walking across Hungerford Bridge


Especially at twilight
Especially during the time of day when it's getting dark


Looking through the bolts and the girders
Looking through the metalwork of the bridge


Into the water below
Looking into the water beneath the bridge


You'll never find your answer there
You won't find what you're looking for if you go there


They sounded the "all-clear" in the occidental bazaar
The all-clear signal has sounded in the occidental (Western) marketplace


They used to call Oxford Street
Oxford Street used to be called something else


Now the bankrupt souls in the city are finally tasting defeat
People in the city who are struggling financially are now experiencing defeat


From the gates of St. Mary's, there were horses in Olympia
There were horses at Olympia, seen from St. Mary's gates


And a trolley bus in Fulham Broadway
There was a trolley bus seen in Fulham Broadway


The lions and the tigers in Regents Park
The lions and tigers in Regents Park Zoo


Couldn't pay their way
They were not able to pay for themselves


And now they're not the only ones
Other people can't pay for themselves either


At the Hammersmith Palais
At the Hammersmith Palais (a dance hall)


In Kensington and Camden Town
In the areas of Kensington and Camden Town


There's a part that I used to play
There's something I used to be a part of


The lovely Diorama is really part of the drama, I'd say
The Diorama (a type of museum exhibit) is an important part of the story or experience


When I'm walking out and about
When I'm out walking


In London's brilliant parade
In the bright, lively city of London


Don't look at me, I'm having the time of my life
Don't pay attention to me because I'm having a great time


When I'm walking out and about
When I'm out walking


In London's brilliant parade
In the bright, lively city of London


Just look at me, I'm having the time of my life
Take a look at me because I'm enjoying myself so much


Or something quite like it
Or at least something close to it


When I'm walking out and about
When I'm out walking


In London's brilliant parade
In the bright, lively city of London




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DECLAN MACMANUS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found