Back Stabbers

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What they do
Smiling in your face
All the time they want to take your place
The back stabbers
Smiling in your face
All the time they want to take your place
The back stabbers

I keep getting all these visits
From my friends
They come to my house
Again and again and again and again
So are they there to see my woman
I don't even be home but they still keep on coming
What can I do to get on the right track
Wish they'd take some of these knives out my back
Yeah yeah yeah

Back Stabbers
Written byLeon Huff, Gene McFadden & John Whitehead
Performed byElvis Costello
Produced byStewart Lerman & Randall Poster
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal
Johnny Gale - guitar, backing vocal
Conrad Korsch - bass
Rich Pagano - drums
Victor Axelrod - keyboards
Kevin Keys - backing vocal
RecordedAvatar Studios and Electric Lady Studios, New York
ReleasedApril 15, 2016
AlbumsVinyl: Music From The HBO Original Series: The Essentials: Best Of Season 1, 2016
Length3:13

First known performance:
May 25, 1982, Melbourne, Australia - medley with King Horse
Last known performance:
October 13, 2021, Memphis, TN - medley with We Are All Cowards Now
     (1 known performances, 130 as a snippet)


Alternate versions

Back Stabbers / King Horse (Live 1983)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions (with The TKO Horns)
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Jim Paterson - trombone
Jeff Blythe - saxophone
Paul Speare - saxophone
Dave Plews - trumpet
RecordedSeptember 7, 1983, Austin, TX
ReleasedJuly 28, 2003
AlbumsPunch The Clock (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003
Length4:47

Punch The ClockPunch The Clock Rhino album cover.jpg

Vinyl Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 1.9 album cover.jpg


Recordings by other artists

 Artist  Year  Release  Links
The O'Jays  1972 Back Stabbers Wikipedia
 MFSB  1973 MFSB
 Tina Turner  1979 Love Explosion

Internal links

External links