Possession

If there's anything that you want If there's anything that you need There's no need to be evasive Money talks and it's persuasive Possession Now you're sending me your best wishes Signed with love and vicious kisses You lack lust, you're so lacklustre Is that all the strength you can muster? Possession Even when we are out of touch Now I know that I've seen too much Seen too much So I see us lying back to back My case is closed, my case is packed I'll get out before the violence Or the tears or the silence Possession

Possession Written by Elvis Costello Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Produced by Nick Lowe Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, guitar, organ Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Recorded October 1979, Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands and/or Eden Studios, London Released February 1980 Albums Get Happy!!, 1980 Collections Girls Girls Girls, 1989 Promos Get Happy!! (Promo Album), 1980 Videos The Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello - The Videos, 2005 Length 2:02 First known performance:  December 10, 1979, Cannes, France Last known performance:  2024      (148 known performances) “Another drunken composition (or is it decomposition). On the run from a cleverly isolated Dutch studio, we sought excitement in a small cafe. Sure enough I started to fall ‘in love’ with the waitress, but was hustled back to work before the trouble began. I began my protestations of desire in the taxi, and although other grim thoughts came to mind, the song was ‘complete’ by the time we reached the studio. Naturally we recorded it right away and in a childishly literal gesture I insisted on playing organ (very badly).” — Girls Girls Girls liner notes, 1989. Alternate versions Possession (Live 1983) Performed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions (with The TKO Horns) Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, guitar Steve Nieve - keyboards Bruce Thomas - bass Pete Thomas - drums Jim Paterson - trombone Jeff Blythe - saxophone Paul Speare - saxophone Dave Plews - trumpet Recorded September 7, 1983, Austin, TX Released July 28, 2003 Albums Punch The Clock (Rhino/Edsel reissue), 2003 Length 2:29

Covers

Steve Nieve

instrumental, performed live, 2020-04-24, The Daily Improvisation, France

2020

Facebook - 30:10

Erich Sellheim

home studio production, sung in German

2014

YouTube

Wet Wet Wet

Live

1990

Wikipedia  •  YouTube

Internal links

• Lyrics  •  Covers

External links

• Elvis Costello Reissues: Get Happy!!