Baby Plays Around
Elvis Costello & Bill Frisell Lyrics
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He's out again tonight and I'm alone once more
He's all I have worth waiting for
But baby plays around
And so it seems I've always been the last to know
To hold on to that girl, I had to let her go
I wish to God I didn't love her so
'Cos baby plays around
I try to be strong hold on to my pride
He doesn't even know it's wrong, how much
I hurt inside
And heaven knows I've tried
But baby plays around. Just a plaything
It's hard to reconcile the facts I'm facing
It's not open to discussion anymore
She walks those shiny streets
I walk the worn out floor
She's all I have worth living for
Baby plays, baby plays around
The song ‘Baby Plays Around’ by Elvis Costello & Bill Frisell explores themes of unrequited love, heartbreak and the pain of holding on to something you know you should let go of. The singer is pining after someone who is not faithful to them, someone who continually hurts them by playing around with other people. The lyrics suggest that despite the pain, the singer finds it hard to let go of this person, as they are ‘all they have worth waiting for’ and ‘worth living for’.
However, the singer also speaks of trying to be strong and holding onto their pride, despite the hurt they feel inside. They are aware that they are the last to know about their lover's infidelities and try to reconcile the facts they are facing, while also trying to come to terms with the fact that this person is just a ‘plaything’. The repeated refrain of ‘baby plays around’ throughout the song emphasises the theme of unfaithfulness and the pain it can cause.
The song is a haunting exploration of the pain of unrequited love and the struggle to let go of something that you know is not right for you. It is delivered with Elvis Costello's trademark vocal style, which balances vulnerability and strength, creating a powerful emotional impact on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not open to discussion anymore
There's nothing to talk about anymore.
He's out again tonight and I'm alone once more
He's gone out tonight, and I'm by myself again.
He's all I have worth waiting for
I'm waiting for him because he's the only thing in my life that's worth waiting for.
But baby plays around
But he's running around with other women.
And so it seems I've always been the last to know
It always seems like I'm the last person to find out things.
To hold on to that girl, I had to let her go
In order to keep her close to me, I had to let her go.
I wish to God I didn't love her so
I wish I didn't love her as much as I do.
'Cos baby plays around
Because he's always running around.
I try to be strong hold on to my pride
I try to be strong and keep my dignity intact.
He doesn't even know it's wrong, how much I hurt inside
He doesn't even realize how much he's hurting me.
And heaven knows I've tried
I've tried my best to make it work.
But baby plays around. Just a plaything
But he's just using me and treating me like a toy.
It's hard to reconcile the facts I'm facing
It's difficult to come to terms with the reality of the situation.
She walks those shiny streets. I walk the worn out floor
She's out having a good time while I'm stuck at home feeling miserable.
She's all I have worth living for
She's the only reason I have to keep going in life.
Baby plays, baby plays around
He's always running around and playing with other women.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CAIT O'RIORDAN, ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Pyle
Thanks for uploading. Really beautiful.
fred scuttle
sitting here in France on my way home from a long break in southern Italy, i stumbled on this one whilst hunting for bill frisell and then this turned up(i am touched to hear such a beautiful duet)--immediately bought the cd(better quality on really decent hi fi)
wow i am stunned by this one
spectician
nice
Greg Waits
+jim rock that was my reaction as well. I bought my cd copy used knowing nothing about it. It looked interesting. So glad I did buy it.
dragan0405
😂❤
jamj
Very well done! Amazing artists, masterpiece!
Bettina Roumec
This album is delightful. Thank you for posting it. On the other hand, I think the order is: Weird Love, Shame Gigi, Poor Baby and Deep. Hell, I'm not complaining: i'd listen to this shit in any given order. Kisses!
Nicolobo Ramos
Best Elvis Costello Album EVER
Maxim Popov
Blues is the healer 💙☮️💙
Greg Waits
Great composition.