"Accidents Will Happen" is a song written by
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
and performed by Elvis Costello and
the Attractions
The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards and ukulele), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Tho ...
. It first appeared on the 1979 album ''
Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
''. Costello wrote the song about his many infidelities during this period of his life, including an encounter Costello had with a taxi driver in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
. The song originally featured a piano-centered arrangement and was inspired by songs such as "
Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "
Walk Away Renée
"Walk Away Renée" is a song written by Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, and Tony Sansone for the band the Left Banke, released as a single in July 1966. Steve Martin Caro is featured on lead vocals. It spent 13 weeks on the US charts, with a top ...
".
The song was a moderate hit in the UK when released as the second single from ''Armed Forces'', reaching the Top 30 in the UK. It was accompanied by an animated music video that has since received acclaim and is widely considered to be the first fully animated music video. The song has been praised by critics and has appeared on numerous compilation and live albums.
Background
The origins of "Accidents Will Happen" dates back to 1978, when Elvis Costello wrote the song in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
during a tour.
Costello initially claimed to have written the song about an incident he had experienced in nearby
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
.
He had fallen in love with a taxi driver, but the romance fizzled after Costello began to argue with her over the radio—Costello had argued for
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender (born Baldemar Garza Huerta; June 4, 1937 – October 14, 2006) was an American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados. He was bes ...
, while the driver argued for
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
.
The driver then drove Costello back to his hotel, where he wrote the song with Attractions keyboardist
Steve Nieve
Steve Nieve ( "naïve"; born Stephen John Nason, 21 February 1958) is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions, the Imposters and Madnes ...
at 3:00 AM. The earliest rendition was debuted at Hollywood High School on June 4, 1978, where Costello was accompanied only by Nieve on piano.
In 2020, Costello claimed that the cab driver story was not the sole inspiration, stating, "I needed to construct a single episode in print to stand in for the truth." He said the song was a more general account of his "failings during that time as a husband and as a father," concluding, "Back in '78, I was young and newly famous, and I didn't have any sense of responsibility. Temptation came along, and I gave in to it more than I should have. That's what this song is really about."
He said of this time in his life:
Music and lyrics
On a lyrical level, Costello has described the song as "about a straying lover struggling to tell the truth and face the consequences"
and "the end of the romance".
He had been inspired by the
Burt Bacharach
Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...
—
Hal David
Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick.
Early life
David ...
song "
Anyone Who Had a Heart" because, according to Costello, "everything I did seemed to mark the absence of one". Costello also quoted the line ''"I don't want to hear it"'' from
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
's "
I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore
"I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore" is a 1964 song written by Randy Newman. It was first recorded by Jerry Butler in 1964 and released as a single by him (under the title "I Don't Want to Hear Anymore").
Writer Kevin Courrier, in his 2005 book ''Ran ...
." Costello also "changed every 'I to "we" and "he" to remove the personal nature of the song; he stated, "This was pop music, not confession".
Musically, Costello cited
the Left Banke
The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the music press referred to as "baroqu ...
's "
Walk Away Renée
"Walk Away Renée" is a song written by Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, and Tony Sansone for the band the Left Banke, released as a single in July 1966. Steve Martin Caro is featured on lead vocals. It spent 13 weeks on the US charts, with a top ...
" as inspiration. He noted that, after hearing "Walk Away Renée", he wanted to "write a melody that was that airborne."
Costello's
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
intro of ''"Oh, I"'' was inspired by the similar a cappella opening of
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' "
Girl
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary ...
."
The song features no guitars, instead focusing on
Steve Nieve
Steve Nieve ( "naïve"; born Stephen John Nason, 21 February 1958) is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions, the Imposters and Madnes ...
's keyboard and synthesizer work. This keyboard-centric arrangement was in part inspired by
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
.
Costello and producer
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,[Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...]
'' album, having been written after most of the album's other tracks. To make room for the song on the album, the track "Clean Money" was cut; Costello dismissed that song as an "overly powdered-up rocker" and noted that the song "would have set an entirely different scene than a song that opened with the line 'I just don't know where to begin. "Clean Money" would ultimately be released as one of the B-sides of his 1980 single "
Clubland" as well as on the rarities albums ''
Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers
''Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers'' is a compilation album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and his backing band the Attractions, comprising tracks not previously released on albums. It is largely made up of B-sides, but ...
'' and ''
Taking Liberties
''Taking Liberties'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, consisting of tracks not previously released on his albums as released in the United States. It is largely made up of B-sides, but features three previousl ...
''.
"Accidents Will Happen" was released as the second single from the ''
Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
'' album, after "
Oliver's Army
"Oliver's Army" is a song written by Elvis Costello and performed by Costello and the Attractions, from the former's third studio album ''Armed Forces'' (1979). The song is a new wave track that was lyrically inspired by the Troubles in Northe ...
". It reached number 28 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in June 1979. The song also reached number 101 in the United States and attracted notable FM radio play.
In reference to the song title, the cover of the single was printed inside-out, and the run-out groove on side A reads "Porky Prime Cuts Will Happen" (referring to the trademark signature of cutting engineer
George Peckham
George "Porky" Peckham (born 1942, Blackburn, Lancashire) is an English record engineer, widely recognised as among the most accomplished in the business. He has been responsible for producing the master discs from which many vinyl records have ...
). The single had two B-sides, "Talking in the Dark" and "Wednesday Week". The songs had first been released in December of 1978, when Elvis Costello & the Attractions gave out free copies of a single containing the two then-unreleased songs. Only 9,000 copies of this single were pressed and, when "Accidents Will Happen" was released, both songs were used as B-sides, before later being included on the compilation album ''
Taking Liberties
''Taking Liberties'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, consisting of tracks not previously released on his albums as released in the United States. It is largely made up of B-sides, but features three previousl ...
''.
A live version of the song would be released on an EP included with early American pressings of ''Armed Forces'', featuring the stripped-down arrangement from Hollywood High with Costello on vocals and Nieve on piano.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Mark Deming described this version as "a telling example of the malleability of Costello's music, and a preview of the stylistic diversity that was to dominate his work in later years". This version would also appear on the live album ''
Live at Hollywood High
''Live at Hollywood High'' (officially released as ''Live at Hollywood High/The Costello Show Vol. 2'') is a recording by Elvis Costello and the Attractions from a 1978 concert at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, California. Three songs fr ...
''.
Music video
"Accidents Will Happen" was accompanied by an animated music video created by
Annabel Jankel
Annabel Jankel (born 1 June 1955), also known as AJ Jankel, is a British film and TV director who first came to prominence as a music video director and the co-creator of the pioneering cyber-character Max Headroom and as co-director of the film ...
and
Rocky Morton
Rocky Morton (born 1955) is an English director. He is the co-creator of the TV series ''Max Headroom'' and co-director of the 1993 Hollywood Pictures film ''Super Mario Bros''. Various music videos by Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, Gravity Kills, ...
. It features cartoon footage of the band interspersed with accidents, such as toast being burnt, a bathtub overflowing, and a nuclear missile being launched.
According to Jankel, Costello had been unavailable for a live-action video, so 35mm stills of the band were used. Speaking of the video, Jankel said,
The ending sequence features a computer-generated image of Costello that was created using a computer at a London university. Jankel cites
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (), after 1906 known as Piet Mondrian (, also , ; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He is known for being ...
as inspiration for the visual.
Because of this feature, ''
PC Magazine
''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and have continued to the present d ...
'' described this portion as "the very first computer-generated moving image in a music video."
The video was one of the 35 videos selected for the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
's "Golden Oldies of Music Video" exhibition in 2003.
Reception
"Accidents Will Happen" has received critical acclaim as one of the highlights of ''Armed Forces'' and as one of Costello's greatest songs. Geoffrey Himes of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' lavishly praised the song in a 1979 article, saying, "'Accidents Will Happen' ... is one of those rare moments in rock 'n' roll that works on all levels at once".
He went on to call the track "the kind of high point that marks a great era of music", comparable with
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's "
Mystery Train
"Mystery Train" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Originally performed in the style of a Memphis blues or rhythm and blues tune, it was inspired by earlier songs and later became a popular rockabil ...
" and
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "
Like a Rolling Stone
"Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted fro ...
" in stature.
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said it "is heavily layered" that "synthesizer and upfront drum back Elvis' distinct vocals. "
''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'' called it a "thoughtful pop/rocker
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
should give him Top 40 presence."
In 2003, Matt LeMay of ''
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
'' described the song in this way: Accidents Will Happen', one of the finest songs in his, or any, repertoire, matches a signature smirking double-entendre with an almost Baroque pop sensibility. Melodically and lyrically, the song is above reproach, as Costello sings of infidelity with what could either be construed as regret or smug satisfaction. It's also one of several songs on ''Armed Forces'' to benefit from the album's dense production." Mark Deming of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
lauded the song's "cocky confidence and gleeful bitterness."
"Accidents Will Happen" has been ranked by multiple critics as one of Costello's best. In 2004, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' voted it as one of Costello's top 10 greatest tunes, while ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
s Martin Chilton named the song Costello's 5th best, calling it "one of Elvis Costello's simple and effective songs".
Ryan Prado of ''
Paste'' named it Costello's 14th best, praising the opening line for "providing a clever actual beginning to not only the song, but the entire album".
In a list for ''Louder'',
David Ford named the song one of Costello's top ten best, similarly praising the opening lyric for "kick
ngoff the ''Armed Forces'' album perfectly".
Charts
In other media
In ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...
'', Elliott's brother, Michael, sings this song in the family kitchen after coming home from school.
Elliott has an Elvis Costello poster up in his bedroom.
The song is played in ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' ''
Treehouse of Horror
''Treehouse of Horror'' is an annual series of special Halloween-themed episodes of the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', with 33 anthology episodes between 1990 and 2022. Also known as ''The Simpsons Halloween Specials'', each episode typical ...
XXVI'' segment, "Wanted: Dead, Then Alive", in which
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr., PhD, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared in the episode " The Telltale Head". Bob is a se ...
keeps killing
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' ...
and bringing him back to life over and over again in a montage.
References
Citations
Sources
*
{{authority control
Elvis Costello songs
1979 songs
Songs written by Elvis Costello
Radar Records singles
Song recordings produced by Nick Lowe