"Poor Borrowed Dress" Lyrics

[Three4Laughter]

Hi everyone!
I'm wondering if anybody has managed to transcribe or find any copies of the lyrics for "Poor Borrowed Dress" (I love this song!). I searched the boards already and saw some lyrics under the section for chords, but I haven't been able to find the whole song anywhere. Any help would be great. Thanks!

[Three4Laughter]

bump!

I've got some of them kind of estimated, but the lines that I just really can't understand are the first few (My/Her/your friends are fainted hearted ones, then something about wealth maybe?) and the one that starts "Now it seems from everything (her/your/a lies a long and ?lank?lag?"

[And No Coffee Table]

Maybe you could post what you hear and see if anyone can offer corrections or additions.

[Three4Laughter]

Here's what I've got on my own from the first verse:

Your friends are fainted-hearted ones ..................... wealth (or maybe ...... "as well")
At last a proud and perfect sons at least start to swell
Swings and the swan girls in polka dots and pearls
Hearts as hard as punishment eyes as dim as candles
It's a question of the voice of which you will attempt
One that's there to flatter you the other's to defend
You took her down immediately and made her confess
Shame of the wearing of that poor borrowed dress

Then in the second verse I have

Now it seems from everything a lies a long and lank (doesn't make sense but that's what I hear)
Money can't buy anything, there's nothing in the bank

Thanks Coffee!

[FAVEHOUR]

Here's what I've got on my own from the first verse:

Your friends are fainted-hearted ones ..................... wealth (or maybe ...... "as well")
At last a proud and perfect sons at least start to swell
Swings and the swan girls in polka dots and pearls
Hearts as hard as punishment eyes as dim as candles
It's a question of the voice of which you will attempt
One that's there to flatter you the other's to defend
You took her down immediately and made her confess
Shame of the wearing of that poor borrowed dress

Then in the second verse I have

Now it seems from everything a lies a long and lank (doesn't make sense but that's what I hear)
Money can't buy anything, there's nothing in the bank

Thanks Coffee!

Yikes. Hard one to decipher.
I think the first verse is the hardest.

What I would add to where you left off is

Put away your crinolines, your silk and your lace
Or hide among your mother's skirts and never show your face

It's a question of the voice that you decide to use
One is there to comfort you, ..........to seduce
You've got nothing left to lose, and no one to impress
You've never looked so fine as in that poor borrowed dress

[Jeremy Dylan]

Here's what I've got on my own from the first verse:

Your friends are fainted-hearted ones ..................... wealth (or maybe ...... "as well")
At last a proud and perfect sons at least start to swell
Swings and the swan girls in polka dots and pearls
Hearts as hard as punishment eyes as dim as candles
It's a question of the voice of which you will attempt
One that's there to flatter you the other's to defend
You took her down immediately and made her confess
Shame of the wearing of that poor borrowed dress

Then in the second verse I have

Now it seems from everything a lies a long and lank (doesn't make sense but that's what I hear)
Money can't buy anything, there's nothing in the bank

Thanks Coffee!

Yikes. Hard one to decipher.
I think the first verse is the hardest.

What I would add to where you left off is

Put away your crinolines, your silk and your lace
Or hide among your mother's skirts and never show your face

It's a question of the voice that you decide to use
One is there to comfort you, ..........to seduce
You've got nothing left to lose, and no one to impress
You've never looked so fine as in that poor borrowed dress

I think it's:
One is there to comfort you, the other to seduce

[Three4Laughter]

Thanks for the help guys guys! Unless I ever get a chance to interview EC myself ( ) I guess I'll have to settle for humming those first few lines

[And No Coffee Table]

For whatever it's worth, these are the lyrics according to the closed captions on the "Live from the Artists Den" broadcast. (I wouldn't assume they're in any way official.)


Your friends are fainted-hearted ones and who resents their wealth
At last a proud and perfect sons at least start to swell
Swings and the swan girls in polka dots and pearls
Hearts as hard as punishment, eyes as dim as candles

It's a question of the voice of which you will attempt
One that's there to flatter you will always to defend
You took her down immediately and made her confess
Shame of the wearing of that poor borrowed dress

Now it seems from everything and lies a long and lank
Money can't buy anything, there's nothing in the bank
Put away your crinolines, your silk and your lace
Or hide among your mother's skirts and never show your face

It's a question of the voice which you decide to use
The one that's there to comfort you will always to seduce
You got nothing left to lose and no one to impress
You never looked so fine as in that poor borrowed dress

[gusbuk]

I'm still trying to figure oute the first two lines, but I'm pretty sure the third begins with "The Swains..."

[Man out of Time]

So I have returned to this, mainly so as to be able to add a page of lyrics to the EC Wiki.

Based on the recorded version on National Ransack, and a live version from the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2010, this is the best I can come up with. As others have noted, the first couple of lines are the hardest. Elvis seems to make use of some elision in this song, to get the words to fit the tune. This is unusual for him.

My friends are fainter-hearted ones we’d ‘ere address them well
At least the proud and perfect sons whose knees start to swell
The swains and the swan girls in polka dots and pearls
Hearts as hard as punishment and eyes as dim as candles

It’s a question of the voice to which you will attend
One that‘s there to flatter you, the other to defend
You’d drink it down immediately and made her confess
The shame of the wearer of that poor borrowed dress

Now we choose from everything and life’s so long and lank
Money can’t buy anything, there’s nothing in the bank
Put away your crinolines, your silk and your lace
Or hide among your mother’s skirts and never show your face

But it’s a question of the voice that you decide to use
One that’s there to comfort you, all o’ers to seduce
You’ve got nothing left to lose and no one to impress
You’ve never looked so fine as in that poor borrowed dress

Whoo….

Whoo…

So it’s a question of the voice that you decide to use
One that’s there to comfort you, the o’ers to seduce
You’ve got nothing left to lose and no one to impress
You never looked so fine as in that poor borrowed dress

Any suggestions to improve on this version gratefully received...

MOOT