Seconds Of Pleasure

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You say you don't desire me
She's only a hired hand
Now you are tired of me
Expensive care is meaningless
Feeling nothing and caring less

Cut off at the pass
She knows where you were headed
She wants double-time
Or a temporary wedding

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure

I thought I knew you too well
Now I find the man is a mystery
And the promises you made
Are really only ancient history

Everyday goes by without a hitch
You say the urge becomes an itch
You say that I'm no good for you, that's rich
Or am I being bitchy?

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure

And the hands on the clock move so precisely
You say you only kissed her once or twice
You didn't do it for love, you didn't even do it with stealth
I can't help you now
I can't help myself

Committed to life and then commuted to the outskirts
I was living for thirty minutes at a time
With a break in the middle for adverts

You treat me like a piece of human furniture
You say "when", you say "so"
If you can look all that you like
But I won't let you touch and go

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure



Alternate lyrics from demo version:


You say you don't desire me
You only hire me. Now you tire me
Inexpensive care is meaningless
Feeling nothing and caring less

Cut off at the pass
She knows where you were headed
She wants double-time
Or a temporary wedding

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure

Crowds surround loudspeakers on a lamp-post
Listening to the murder mystery
Meanwhile someone’s in the classroom
Busy forging the books of history

I wouldn’t give that man my hand
He’d probably steal my fingers
So the sleuth ends up in stitches
And your urges turn to itches

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure

I was committed to life
And then commuted to the outskirts
I was living for thirty minutes at a time
With a break in the middle for adverts

In the strong arms of your human furniture
You say "when", you say "so"
Well you can look all that you like
But I won't let you touch and go

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure

And the lucky girl leads a life of leisure
Though she might have to wait forty-five years
For seconds of pleasure

Seconds Of Pleasure
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, bass
Steve Nieve - piano
RecordedJanuary 20, 1982, Am-Pro Studios, London
ReleasedAugust 30, 1994
AlbumsImperial Bedroom (Rykodisc/Demon reissue), 1994
Punch The Clock (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
Length3:42

First known performance:
October 22, 2016, Atlantic City, NJ
Last known performance:
November 7, 2016, New York, NY
     (5 known performances)


Alternate versions

Seconds Of Pleasure (Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, all instruments
RecordedAugust 21-22 1981, Pathway Studios, London
ReleasedApril 29, 1994
AlbumsTrust (Rykodisc/Demon reissue), 1994
Imperial Bedroom (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2002
Length3:17
TrustTrust album cover large.jpg

Imperial BedroomIB album cover large.jpg

Punch The ClockPunch The Clock Rhino album cover.jpg

Covers

no known covers

Internal links

External links