Accidents Will Happen
"Accidents Will Happen" is a song written by Elvis Costello and performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It first appeared on the 1979 album Armed Forces. 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. The song originally featured a piano-centered arrangement and was inspired by songs such as "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Walk Away Renée".
| "Accidents Will Happen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cover of U.K. sleeve (printed on the inside rather than outside as a reference to the song) | ||||
| Single by Elvis Costello and the Attractions | ||||
| from the album Armed Forces | ||||
| B-side | "Talking in the Dark" "Wednesday Week" | |||
| Released | 4 May 1979 | |||
| Recorded | August–September 1978 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Radar | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Elvis Costello | |||
| Producer(s) | Nick Lowe | |||
| Elvis Costello and the Attractions singles chronology | ||||
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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.