Clubland

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With a handful of backhanders and a bevy of beauty
You're going off limits
Going off duty
Going off the rails
Going off with booty
They tell tales of fiction found on all the criminal types
Lead to a higher ranking man or a face with thin red stripes

Chorus:
The boys next door
The mums and dads
New weds and nearly-deads
Have you ever been had in Clubland?

There's a piece in someone's pocket to do the dirty work
You've come to shoot the pony
They've come to do the jerk
They leave him half way to paradise
They leave you half way to bliss
The ladies' invitation never seemed like this

(Chorus)

The long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town
Meanwhile in Clubland they are ready to pull them down
Hey

The right to work is traded in for the right to refuse admission
Don't pass out now, there's no refund
Did you find out what you were missing
The crowd is taking forty winks minus ten percent
You barely get required sleep to go lingering with contemptment
Thursday to Saturday
Money's gone already
Some things come in common these days
Your hands and work aren't steady

(Chorus)

Clubland
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe in association with Roger Bechirian
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Recorded1980, DJM Studios and/or Eden Studios, London
ReleasedDecember 1980
AlbumsTrust, 1981
SinglesClubland, 1980
CollectionsThe Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1985
The Man (The Best Of Elvis Costello), 1985
Girls Girls Girls, 1989
The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994
The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999
Singles, Volume 2, 2003
The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years, 2007
Various Artists collectionsThe History Of Rock: Vol. 39, 1986
VideosThe Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello - The Videos, 2005,
The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook, 2011
Length3:42

First known performance:
July 11, 1980, Orange, France
Last known performance:
2024
     (756 known performances, 1 as a snippet)


Alternate versions

Clubland (Alternate Take)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe in association with Roger Bechirian
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedJuly 1980, DJM Studios, London
ReleasedJuly 28, 2003
AlbumsTrust (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
PromosPunch The Clock, Trust & Get Happy!! Sampler, 2003
Length4:00

Clubland (Live 2004)
Performed byElvis Costello with The Metropole Orkest
Produced byGert-Jan van den Dolder
Arranged bySy Johnson
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal
Steve Nieve - piano
The Metropole Orkest
Vince Mendoza - conductor
Ruud Breuls - trumpet solo
Paul van der Feen - soprano saxophone solo
RecordedJuly 9, 2004, The Hague, Netherlands
ReleasedJanuary 13, 2006
AlbumsMy Flame Burns Blue, 2006
PromosMy Flame Burns Blue, 2006 (4 track promo)
Length4:51

Clubland (Live 2006)
Performed byElvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
featuring The Imposters, Anthony "AB" Brown & The Crescent City Horns
Horn arrangementSy Johnson (adapted by Chris Walden)
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Allen Toussaint - Hammond B3 organ
Steve Nieve - piano
Davey Faragher - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Anthony "AB" Brown - guitar
Amadee Castenell - saxophone
Brian "Breeze" Cayolle - saxophone
Joe "Foxx" Smith - trumpet
Sam "Big Sam" Williams - trombone
RecordedJuly 3, 2006, Montreal, QC, Canada
ReleasedDecember 5, 2006
VideosHot As A Pistol, Keen As A Blade, 2006
TrustTrust album cover large.jpg

Clubland UK 7" single front sleeve.jpg

The Best Of Elvis Costello & The AttractionsBOEC album cover 200.jpg

The Man (The Best Of Elvis Costello)TMBOEC album cover 170.jpg

Girls Girls GirlsGGG album cover 300.jpg

The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994The Very Best Of Elvis Costello And The Attractions album cover.jpg

The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999The Very Best Of Elvis Costello (2CD) album cover.jpg

Singles, Volume 2Singles Volume 2 album cover.jpg

The Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello - The VideosTRS dvd cover.jpg

My Flame Burns BlueMy Flame Burns Blue album cover.jpg

Hot As A Pistol, Keen As A BladeHot As A Pistol Keen As A Blade DVD cover.jpg

The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 YearsThe Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years album cover.jpg

The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning SongbookThe Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook album cover.jpg

Covers

Steve Nieve instrumental, performed live, 2020-03-25, The Daily Improvisation, France 2020 Facebook  (at 8:59)
Oliver's Army (Dallas) performed live, Dallas-area Costello tribute band 2003 OliversArmyBand
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2015 YouTube

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External links