Opportunity

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Born in the middle of a second big baby boom
Those noisy boys just might have spoken up too soon
Now I'm looking for a little girl, I wonder where she's gone
Big money for families having more than one

(chorus):
Opportunity, opportunity
This is your big opportunity
They shop around
Follow you without a sound
Whatever you do now
Don't turn around
Don't turn around

Whatever happened to the pride of the nation?
They say, "Just wait until you break formation"
She was sitting pretty on a velvet cushion
But her bedroom eyes were like a button she was pushing
She said, "When they get to Dover they'll be be taking over"
I said I'd come to her defense and then she pulled me over

(chorus)

I'm in the foxhole, I'm down in the trench
I'd be a hero but I can't stand the stench
The Fitness Institute was full of General Motormen
And the "Hello House of Beauty" wouldn't stand a chance with them
The chairman of this boredom is a compliment collector
I'd like to be his funeral director

(chorus)

Please don't turn around...

Opportunity
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedOctober 1979, Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands and/or Eden Studios, London
ReleasedFebruary 1980
AlbumsGet Happy!!, 1980
PromosGet Happy!! (Promo Album), 1980
UK Elvis Costello (2006), 2006
Length3:11

First known performance:
January 30, 1979, London, England
Last known performance:
November 1, 2019, Norfolk, VA
     (57 known performances)


Alternate versions

Opportunity (Live 1979)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedFebruary 16, 1979, Los Angeles, CA
ReleasedJuly 28, 2003
AlbumsGet Happy!! (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
Length2:33
Get Happy!!GH album cover large.jpg

Covers

Steve Nieve instrumental, performed live, 2020-04-24, The Daily Improvisation, France 2020 Facebook - 4:15
Parallax Project / Ricky Castro performed live, 2002-08-10, Brilliant Mistakes tribute, Albany, NY 2002 archive.org 
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2014 YouTube
Herbert Vianna Hv Sessions (Vol. 1) 2020 YouTubeAmazon.uk

Internal links

External links