Elvis Costello - Clubland Lyrics






With a handful of backhanders and a bevy of beauty
You're going off limits
Going off duty
Going off the rails
Going off with booty
They tell tales of fiction found on all the criminal types
Lead to a higher ranking man or a face with thin red stripes

[Chorus:]
The boys next door
The mums and dads
New weds and nearly-deads
Have you ever been had in Clubland?

There's a piece in someone's pocket to do the dirty work
You've come to shoot the pony
They've come to do the jerk
They leave him half way to paradise
They leave you half way to bliss
The ladies' invitation never seemed like this

[Chorus]

The long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town
Meanwhile in Clubland they are ready to pull them down
Hey

The right to work is traded in for the right to refuse admission
Don't pass out now, there's no refund
(when) Did you find out what you were missing
The crowd is taking forty winks minus ten percent
You barely get required sleep to go lingering with contemptment
Thursday to Saturday
Money's gone already
Some things come in common these days
Your hands and work aren't steady

[Chorus]





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Elvis Costello Clubland Comments
  1. D.... k....

    I know Elvis wrote these songs back then against anti-fascist & British Politicians, but I swear listening in 2020 he can easily be singing about SJWS, & the Democratic conventions.

  2. J.... B....

    Fucking amazing...

  3. C.... S....

    "[G]o dithering with contentment"? Enunciate, confound you!

  4. A.... V....

    Less Than Zero brought me here.

    A.... V....

    Art Vandelay "you know I always wanted to pretend I was an architect!"

    A.... V....

    Drat, i botched that. Should read “...to be an architect.”

    A.... V....

    @AlbertoVO5 I'm pretty sure he said both lol

    A.... V....

    Art Vandelay 1. And you want to be my latex salesman!

  5. f.... c....

    I remember him playing at Milikin High school in long beach California

  6. p.... ....

    it's always Clown Time, somewhere

  7. R.... G....

    heard the first 3 chords of this in virgin records, bought the album and everyone since

  8. o.... ....

    Beautiful...

  9. P.... S....

    Now *that's* an album cover. Would you buy a secondhand car from this man? And thanks for including the lyrics, very nice.

  10. J.... G....

    I was fortunate to have seen Costello in concert several times "back in the day". 1. Boston Orpheum. 1980 Get Happy tour. 2. 1981 Rainbow Theater, London Christmas eve. 3. Royal Albert Hall, London 1982? 4. Hartford Civic center 1983. 5. Cape Cod Coliseum 1983.
    Every time he and his band were great. The best one was the Xmas eve show at the Rainbow Theater in London. They opened with Lipstick Vogue, then played Clubland, Watching the Detectives, Goon Squad and The Beat one after the other without pause. It was very powerful. I haven't seen anything like it since. After the show, I managed to slip backstage and get upstairs to a little bar within the theater and lo and behold there wss the band, drinking! They all were very gracious to this very young (19), skinny American interloper and let me have a beer with them before they left to celebrate the holidays with their families. Elvis' wife Mary was VERY pretty I seem to remember. All in all it was a night I shall not forget, and because of it I've been a fan of his ever since.

    J.... G....

    Love it! The cape cod coliseum r.i.p
    So funny driving from Boston.Nightmare in a good way lol.Cheers

  11. J.... ....

    Owes his career to Bruce and Pete

    J.... ....

    over and out....

    J.... ....

    roger wilco

    J.... ....

    Joe S....Stop smoking crack....Bruce and Pete are very good...but they didn't write Allison, Shipbuilding, Oliver's Army, Everyday I write the book, the New year's model album, the Armed Forces album, the Get Happy album, the Trust album, the Imperial Album, Punch the clock, King of America, Blood and Chocolate, Brutal youth, Spike and so on..they didn't write songs with McCartney and Bacharach..They didn't write a song for Roy Orbison....they were/are very good and Pete still plays with Elvis...where has Bruce been for 25 years? He was an incredible bass player back then but he was only the bass player...as I remember Costello saved Bruce from a mediocre pub rock band at the time...Both Bruce and Pete were hired musicians

    J.... ....

    Anyone who went to clubs In UK late 70 S will know what this is about

    J.... ....

    Johann Bogason it's bugs bunny. https://youtu.be/SSZ1h-bydS4 but you don't need to sign your notes "fucking idiot." Don't be so hard on yourself.

  12. P.... C....

    Has anybody seen the bridge?

    P.... C....

    Where's that confounded bridge !!

  13. J.... F....

    I can remember when Elvis came out and all he had was a acoustic guitar and a piano player and he totally captivated the crowd. A song writer with few equals and all of his songs have stood the test of time. They seem to get better as Time goes on.

  14. R.... ....

    Goddammit, YouTube! I'm not buying my internet from you! Stop fucking with my playback!

  15. T.... L....

    Bruce Thomas... that is all people

    T.... L....

    +Todd Little Yes but for more than your most likely salutation.

    T.... L....

    Todd Little fuckin A.

  16. T.... H....

    Despite having previously expressed a desire to distance himself from the pop music mainstream, Costello revealed that a number of songs on the album were influenced by other contemporary artists. Specifically, "Clubland" incorporated the guitar style of The Police.

  17. F.... A....

    I always loved this song. Brilliant songwriting. He managed to blend merseybeat with jazz and salsa...Absolutely amazing. And what a band the Attractions were.

    F.... A....

    This is one of my all time favorite songs not just from Elvis. When the song first came out me and my friends would stop what we were doing and just go crazy! Unfortunately there was internet so we didn't have a clue what the hell he was singing about. God bless the internet and I appreciate your post about the song.

    Greetings from Atlantic City New Jersey U S A!
    Semper Fi

    F.... A....

    amazing statement, fer. thank you

    F.... A....

    interesting... reminds me a bit of "episode of blonde"

  18. S.... R....

    I binged-listened to this when it first came out!....still one of his best efforts.

    S.... R....

    James...as with most of EC songs there was a socio-poltical componant. Right to Work in England at the time wasn't working; there was social chaos for the young people while still trying to do what all young people ( and older) do....find a mate. I believe that EC was commenting on the endless and pointless life of work and party lifestyle....in Clubland!! Thank you for your service!

    S.... R....

    Thank You for sending me that because it is one of my favorite songs of all time and I had no idea what it was about. I have listened to the song with the lyrics and I know Elvis was sending a message but I didn't know what it was. This definitely adds to my enjoyment of the song. I have Elvis on right now and I am listening to another favorite of mine it's from a album called Armed Forces and the song is called Goon Squad if you get a chance check it out.

    S.... R....

    Armed Forces...another great album.

    S.... R....

    @Scott Ratzloff - Unions have been a mess in America. Right to work States in America have been becoming more attractive because the heavily unionized States are now pushing businesses away. Elvis Costello is my type of artist who uses his craft to create political satire.

    S.... R....

    @islandbee dont think Elvis is the type who likes right to work, lol

  19. E.... C....

    That piano. 

    E.... C....

    +Edison Cummings
    and that guitar after the chorus. just 4 notes but what a sound.

  20. L.... ....

    What a songwriter this guy was. One of our greatest.

    L.... ....

    @LiquidLifeTV

    L.... ....

    @Daniel Foster so true buddy

  21. D.... F....

    wonderful wonderful wonderful. 

  22. b.... ....

    great fucking song...nuff said

  23. l.... ....

    I love this song! Trust (1981) deserves to be as celebrated as Imperial Bedroom (1982) or My Aim Is True (1977)!