Georgie And Her Rival

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Georgie grew to hate her name, it sounded like a tiny man
And the one she had said "I can't see you, but I'll call you whenever I can"
Sometimes the phone would ring, when she was half-asleep
A voice would drag her down with its suggestions
Though she often felt cheated, she never felt cheap

(chorus):
Well heaven knows what fills the heart
And makes you feel so alive
It's impossible to tear apart
Georgie and her rival

It was half-past February, and he hadn't called since New Year's Day
Maybe he'd found another woman to say those words no chapel girl should say
Her mother would phone and always keep her talking
She'd try to be polite, making faces
But somewhere in the back of her mind, her rival was stalking

(chorus)

Her rival would always wait till the eighth or ninth bell
He'd be desperate anyway and drunk as well
She always liked to hurt him to prove he was prepared
To love her anyway that she wanted
So she could tell which she preferred

He sat up with his address book trying to think what mood he's in
His finger traced past Georgie's name to someone who needed less persuading
She didn't hear through her disguise, he didn't leave her in a rush
Just like the promise that he left on her machine that almost made her blush
The radio plays a lover's symphony
"The number you have dialed has been re-directed"
Now she puts him on the speaker-phone whenever she has company

(chorus)

Georgie And Her Rival
Written byDeclan MacManus
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byMitchell Froom, Kevin Killen & D.P.A. MacManus
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar
Pete Thomas - drums
Jerry Scheff - bass
Marc Ribot - electric guitar
Larry Knechtel - grand piano
Benmont Tench - Baldwin electric spinet
Mitchell Froom - Hammond B-3 organ, Chamberlain
James Burton - acoustic & electric guitar figure
Fiachra Trench - woodwind chart
Recordedlate 1990-early 1991, Ocean Way, Hollywood & Westside Studios, London
ReleasedMay 10, 1991
AlbumsMighty Like A Rose, 1991
PromosGeorgie And Her Rival (Germany), 1991 -
Malice And Magic (Japan), 1994
Length3:36

First known performance:
May 25, 1991, Santa Barbara, CA
Last known performance:
July 13, 1991, Glasgow, Scotland
     (6 known performances)


Alternate versions

Georgie And Her Rival (Home Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, all instruments
Recordedca. 1990, Elvis' home
ReleasedNovember 18, 2002
AlbumsMighty Like A Rose (Rhino reissue), 2002
Length3:18
Mighty Like A RoseMLAR album cover large.jpg

Covers

Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2020 YouTube

Internal links

External links