Elvis Costello - The First to Leave

Juliet Letters / 1993-01-19 1. Damnation's Cellar 2. Dead Letter 3. Dear Sweet Filthy World 4. Deliver Us 5. Expert Rites 6. For Other Eyes 7. I Almost Had A Weakness 8. I Thought I'd Write to Juliet 9. Jacksons, Monk and Rowe 10. Last Post 11. Romeo's Seance 12. Swine 13. Taking My Life In Your Hands 14. The Birds Will Still Be Singing 15. The First to Leave 16. The Letter Home 17. This Offer Is Unrepeatable 18. This Sad Burlesque 19. Who Do You Think You Are? 20. Why?

The First to Leave

I should open with a kiss
For if you're reading this
You must have opened up your case
And found this letter where I placed it
In between the silk and lace
There were other clues, like your walking shoes
But I still refused to believe
That you were meant to be the first to leave

Everybody here sends you their love
How can I forget you still walk above
Or
below
Perhaps you'll never know this purgatory
We never could agree
There's a thought, there's a pause
No time to repent
Eternally yours
In a permanent lent

But if I should give you up
If you're right and life just stops
And I never see your face again
Then from unearthly pleasures, proud and plain
I shall abstain

Until you realise, my loss is your surprise
Unless you know otherwise
Then don't grieve
You see I had to be the first to leave