Welcome To The Working Week

From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired
and you can have anyone that you have ever desired,
all you gotta tell me now is why, why, why, why.

Welcome to the workin' week.
Oh I know it don't thrill you, I hope it don't kill you.
Welcome to the workin' week.
You gotta do it till you're through it so you better get to it.

All of your family had to kill to survive,
and they're still waitin' for their big day to arrive.
But if they knew how I felt they'd bury me alive.

Welcome to the workin' week.
Oh I know it don't thrill you, I hope it don't kill you.
Welcome to the workin' week.
You gotta do it till you're through it so you better get to it.

I hear you sayin', "Hey, the city's all right
when you only read about it in books.
Spend all your money gettin' so convinced
that you never even bother to look.
Sometimes I wonder if we're livin' in the same land,
Why d'you wanna be my friend when I feel like a juggler
running out of hands?

Welcome to the workin' week, oh, welcome to the working week.

Welcome To The Working Week
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byNick Lowe
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
John McFee - guitar
Sean Hopper - keyboards, backing vocals
Johnny Ciambotti - bass, backing vocals
Mickey Shine - drums
Nick Lowe - backing vocals
Recordedlate 1976-early 1977, Pathway Studios, London
ReleasedMay 27, 1977
AlbumsMy Aim Is True, 1977
Viva England, 1982 (Spain)
SinglesAlison, 1977
CollectionsStiff Box Set No. 2, 1981
2½ Years, 1993
Singles, Volume 1, 2003
Various Artists collectionsAnarchy The Best Of Punk, 1993
PromosStiff Fourplay, 1978
Our Aim Is True, 1978
UK Elvis Costello (2006), 2006
Visa Sampler, 2007
Length1:23

First known performance:
July 21, 1977, Manchester, England
Last known performance:
July 8, 2023, Syracuse, NY
     (102 known performances)


Alternate versions

Welcome To The Working Week (Pathway Studios Demo)
Performed byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Recordedlate 1976, Pathway Studios, London
ReleasedMay 1, 2007
AlbumsMy Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition, 2007
CollectionsRock And Roll Music, 2007
PromosWelcome To The Working Week, 2007 -
Length1:35

Welcome To The Working Week (Live 1977)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedAugust 7, 1977, London, England
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2007
AlbumsMy Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition, 2007
Length1:18

Welcome To The Working Week (Live 1978)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedMarch 6, 1978, Toronto, ON, Canada
Released1978 (promo-only release)
October 15, 1993 (commercial release)
AlbumsLive At The El Mocambo, 1978
Collections2½ Years, 1993
Length1:19
My Aim Is TrueMAIT UK initial album cover large.jpg

Alison singleAlison UK 7" single front sleeve.jpg

Live At The El MocamboLive At The El Mocambo album cover.jpg

2½ Years2½ Years album cover.jpg

Singles, Volume 1Singles Volume 1 album cover.jpg

Rock And Roll MusicRock And Roll Music album cover.jpg

Visa SamplerVisa Sampler front.jpg

Covers

The Anderson Council The Stiff Generation 2002 AllMusicAmazonAmazon.uk
The Computers Teenage Tourettes Camp 2008 Bandcamp
Devin Davis Live At Schubas 2004 eMusicAmazon
Bruce Engelhart Change The World 2010 Amazon
Erratic Retaliator Strategy Various Artists: PRF Monthly Tribute Series 1999 Bandcamp
The Feedbacks Pop Parade Vol 2. 1999 Discogs
Bob Fenster home studio recording 2015 YouTubeFacebook
Fitz Of Depression I'm The Man (7" single) 1995 AllMusicwebsite
The Gladstones The Gladstones LP website
Hank Conocer Gente (CD Single/Digipack) 1999 discogswebsite
Holidays Take Me Home Country Roads  (EP) 2001 info
Charles Jenkins performed live, 2013-02-02, Pure Pop Records, Melbourne, Australia 2013 YouTubeCharlesjenkins.com.au
Kind Of Like Spitting Nailed To The StarsVarious artists 1996 linklink
Los Blockheads performed live, Santa Rosa, 1999-07-24 1999 link
The Methadones 21st Century Power Pop Riot 2006 AllMusicAmazon
No Fun At All Punk Chartbusters, Vol. 3Various artists 1998 AllMusicAmazon
No Fun At All EP's Going Steady 1998 AllMusicAmazonYouTube
No Fun At All And Now For Something Completely Different (EP) 1997 AllMusicDiscogs
Oliver's Army (Dallas) performed live, Dallas-area Costello tribute band 2003 - OliversArmyBand
Parallax Project performed live, 2002-08-10, Brilliant Mistakes tribute, Albany, NY 2002 info
Phoebe Quest performed live, Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco, 2001-09-10 2001 link
Al Schnier performed live, 1995, New York, and 2003, Northampton, MA 1995 Archive.orgArchive.org
Bandrew Scott home studio recording 2020 YouTube
Seizure Kids Seizure Kids (EP) 2000
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2013 YouTube
Zodiacs Por Un Puñado De Extras sung in Spanish as "Odio Trabajar Aquí" 2008 AllMusicAmazon

Chords

	           E			           G#m7	
Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired 
	       C#m7		        F#		
and you can have anyone that you have ever desired, 
A			  B
all you gotta tell me now is why, why, why, why. 

A		           C#m
Welcome to the workin' week. 
A			      E	
Oh I know it don't thrill you, I hope it don't kill you. 
A		C#m   F#
Welcome to the workin' week. 
	   A				B		
You gotta do it till you're through it so you better get to it. 

All of your family had to kill to survive, 
And they're still waitin' for their big day to arrive. 
But if they knew how I felt they'd bury me alive. 

Welcome to the workin' week. 
Oh I know it don't thrill you, I hope it don't kill you. 
Welcome to the workin' week. 
You gotta do it till you're through it so you better get to it. 

G#m		C#m
I hear you sayin', "Hey, the city's all right 
F#m		G#m		A	B
when you only read about it in books. 
G#m	               	C#m
Spend all your money gettin' so convinced 
	A			B
that you never even bother to look. 

E			     G#m
Sometimes I wonder if we're livin' in the same land, 
C#m		  F#		       A
Why d'you wanna be my friend when I feel like a juggler 
	B
running out of hands? 
A		           C#m 	A 		           E 
Welcome to the workin' week, oh, welcome to the working week.

Internal links

External links