"Brilliant Mistake is a sad song, 
    but it's also sort of funny. 
    It's about America and it's about 
    lost ambition, not lack of inspiration. 
    It's about a disappointed or frustrated belief. 
    It's a song that people are going to read wrong. 
    One line in it is, 'There's a trick they do with 
    mirrors and with chemicals.' It means celluloid
    and mirrors, movie cameras. It occurred to me 
    the other day that people will think it's a 
    reference to cocaine."



    [Musician Magazine, 1986]
   







He thought he was the King of America
Where they pour Coca Cola just like vintage wine
Now I try hard not to become hysterical
But I'm not sure if I am laughing or crying
I wish that I could push a button
And talk in the past and not the present tense
And watch this hurtin' feeling disappear
Like it was common sense
It was a fine idea at the time
Now it's a brilliant mistake

She said that she was working for the ABC News
It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use
Her perfume was unspeakable
It lingered in the air
Like her artificial laughter
Her mementos of affairs
"Oh" I said "I see you know him"
"Isn't that very fortunate for you"
And she showed me his calling card
He came third or fourth and there were more than one or two
He was a fine idea at the time
Now he's a brilliant mistake

He thought he was the King of America
But it was just a boulevard of broken dreams
A trick they do with mirrors and with chemicals
The words of love in whispers
And the axe of love in screams
I wish that I could push a button
And talk in the past and not the present tense
And watch this lovin' feeling disappear
Like it was common sense
I was a fine idea at the time
Now I'm a brilliant mistake