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Elvis Costello — Secondary Modern
Album: Get Happy
Avg rating:
6.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 450








Released: 1980
Length: 1:53
Plays (last 30 days): 1
This must be the place
Second place in the human race
Down in the basement
Now I know what he meant
Secondary modern
But there won't be a problem till the girls go home
This is the hand that you never shook
You never gave me the chance that I took
Secondary modern
But there won't be a problem till the girls go home

Is it out of the question
Between you and me
Is it pleasure or business
Or a packet of three?

Nobody makes me sad like you
Now my whole world goes from blue to blue
Secondary modern
But there won't be a problem till the girls go home...
Comments (39)add comment
Interesting there's no mention in the comments of what this song is about. For those not from the UK, a Secondary Modern was once the school you went to if you didn't pass the exam for the grammar school. No matter how they tried to promote themselves, they were still seen by many as the schools for failures. Thankfully, in most parts of the UK, this sort of selection process is a thing of the past...
Even though this isn't my favourite Costello song I've rated it a 9 just to piss off Stingray.
 kbs wrote:
 
 What if his name was Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus?




Would still suck !
The question; does this rate as high as 3?
 Stingray wrote:
ELVIS COSTELLO is the living confirmation
that one can turn SHIT into a CD!!

If he name were not ELVIS, but "HELMUT COSTELLO",
 nobody would notice him!

I am SUUUUURE!

COSTELLO is BORING in 79 of 80 songs!

 What if his name was Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus?

This IT! My favorite EC album! Play more please. Guess I better go 10 to get the avg up for this one. Anti-EC’s please shut up and skip the song.
 Stingray wrote:
ELVIS COSTELLO is the living confirmation
that one can turn SHIT into a CD!!

If he name were not ELVIS, but "HELMUT COSTELLO",
 nobody would notice him!

I am SUUUUURE!

COSTELLO is BORING in 79 of 80 songs!

 

I initially did not care very much for this CD when it came out, but now its one of my favorite EC albums. The run that he had from "My Aim is True" up through this CD (including all the singles that did not make it onto proper albums) is absolutely staggering. And you could really throw both "Trust" and "Imperial Bedroom" into that mix as well. So great, great stuff.
Oh my god! 13% voted 1? It truly is a sick twisted world we live in.
 Stingray wrote:
ELVIS COSTELLO is the living confirmation
that one can turn SHIT into a CD!!

If he name were not ELVIS, but "HELMUT COSTELLO",
 nobody would notice him!

I am SUUUUURE!

COSTELLO is BORING in 79 of 80 songs!

 
Let me find it for you....oh there it is... behind that rock....a clue....just for you....heard you didn't have one.

Sublime little ditto from a remarkable - 20 soul music inspired songs under 3 1/2 minutes - album.
 a_genuine_find wrote:
decklin
 

We knows how Brit-Bums are looking!
What an asshole!
ELVIS COSTELLO is the living confirmation
that one can turn SHIT into a CD!!

If he name were not ELVIS, but "HELMUT COSTELLO",
 nobody would notice him!

I am SUUUUURE!

COSTELLO is BORING in 79 of 80 songs!

To me, almost all Elvis is good!  Like this song - a bit subdued, but still wicked-fun. {#Propeller}
Never heard this one, I like it! Good to hear the "good" Elvis!{#Lol}
Good tune.  Nice little heard-it-through-grapevine-like opening riff.
Get Happy is such a great album—-that this song is only about the fifth, or sixth, best song on it.
Dam this is good stuff
Good shot1
decklin
 fredriley wrote:
Another number from Declan McManus? I'm sure we had one less than an hour ago {#Stupid}
 

...and?
7 > 9... This is a super Elvis song.
Another number from Declan McManus? I'm sure we had one less than an hour ago {#Stupid}
A beautiful song from a fantastic record!
(his fourth album in 30 months)
I mean,  20 songs > very short songs, but all good song-ideas.
overlooked Elvis record IMHO


 Shimmer wrote:
This may be sacrilege, but the more Elvis's songs feature the Attractions, the less I usually like them. The Attractions' sound is usually very busy without being musical.

This song is a good example - most of Get Happy! is horrible, but this is a solid, simple tune. It doesn't need alot of pointless decoration.

After listening to Elvis on and off for decades, I think his first album (pre-Attractions) is still the best. Wish he had stuck with those guys somehow.
 
Very interesting and well written and I totally respect what you say and how you said it.

You're 100% wrong, but {#Smile}

A question though - have you caught the Atrractions or the Imposters live to get a sense of just how tight Pete and Steve and Davey or Bruce work with EC? 

One of my all time favorites that I NEVER heard on the Radio.  Thanks RP



dmax wrote:
Man, Elvis was king.
Yeah, I can remember when almost everything he did was brilliant and catchy. Then came a long stretch when I couldn't understand what he was doing and so stopped caring. I started following him again after "When I Was Cruel" came out.
This is a good cut off of Get Happy, more on the mellow side off a very bouncy five star CD!
This may be sacrilege, but the more Elvis's songs feature the Attractions, the less I usually like them. The Attractions' sound is usually very busy without being musical. This song is a good example - most of Get Happy! is horrible, but this is a solid, simple tune. It doesn't need alot of pointless decoration. After listening to Elvis on and off for decades, I think his first album (pre-Attractions) is still the best. Wish he had stuck with those guys somehow.
Man, I love Elvis! ...and I dig the worn out record label ring in the middle of the pic (God, I miss vinyl LPs)!
I wouldn't call a lobotomy relaxing...maybe after you have one, but getting one...definately not relaxing. JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
Kinda like a labotomy!!
love this song.
Drunkenlilacwine wrote:
I like this song. very catchy and relaxing
I "second" that
Seems its been a while since this was in the rotation. A little EC is never a bad thing.
JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
Kinda like a labotomy!!
Ahhhhhhhhhh...not a lotta snap in this tune.
Drunkenlilacwine wrote:
I like this song. very catchy and relaxing
Kinda like a labotomy!!
I like this song. very catchy and relaxing