Watching The Detectives
Elvis Costello \/ The Attractions Lyrics

Nice girls, not one with a defect
All the girls are attractive with no flaws or imperfections

Cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
The girls are perfectly wrapped and presented like packaging

Red dogs under illegal x
Unknown or illegal substances are underneath the surface of the situation

She looks so good that he gets down and begs
The man is infatuated with the girl and begs for her attention

She is watching the detectives
The girl is observing the detectives in action

"Ooh, he's so cute"
The girl finds one of the detectives attractive

When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot
The detectives are taking shots, possibly with guns

They beat him up until the teardrops start
The detectives use force on someone until they cry

But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart
The person being beaten is emotionless and unaffected

Long shot at that jumping sign
The camera takes a long shot of a sign that is moving or jumping

Invisible shivers running down my spine
The person is feeling a mysterious or eerie sensation

Cut to baby taking off her clothes
The scene cuts to a woman undressing

Close-up of the sign that says "We never close"
The camera shows a close-up of a sign that conveys the establishment never closes

He snatches at you and you match his cigarette
A man tries to grab someone and they offer him a light

She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
The girl's beauty is captivating and pulls focus from everything else

I don't know how much more of this I can take
The person is unsure how much more they can handle of the situation

She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake
The girl is preoccupied with nonchalant grooming while others are busy searching the lake

You think you're alone until you realize you're in it
Someone thinks they're alone but then realizes they're a part of the situation

Now fear is here to stay, love is here for a visit
Fear is ever-present while love is temporary or fleeting

They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit
Taking justice into one's own hands is illegal and can have harsh consequences

Someone's scratching at the window, I wonder who is it?
A mysterious or suspicious figure is scratching on the window

The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
The detectives investigate if someone is related to parents of a missing person

Who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance
The parents are prepared to hear awful news about their missing daughter

Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
It was difficult to get someone to agree to stay

It only took my little fingers to blow you away
The singer claims they only needed a small amount of effort to make someone leave or disappear

Don't get cute
Don't try to be clever or charming

I get so angry when the teardrops start
The singer becomes enraged when someone starts crying

Watching the detectives
The artist is observing the detectives at work

It's just like watching the detectives
The artist compares the current situation to watching the detectives

They're watching the detectives
Someone else is also observing the detectives

Watching the detectives
The singer and others continue to observe the detectives