Dead End Job

From PoliceWiki
"Dead End Job"
a safety master tape from the 1977-08-10 session
the cover for the Can't Stand Losing You 7" single
Recorded by The Police
Released: 1978-08-14
Recorded: 1977-08-10 (unreleased)

1978-01-17 (7" version)

Length: 2:54 (1977 version)

3:30 (1978 version)

Album(s): Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings
Label(s): A&M
Writer(s): Sting, Stewart Copeland
Producer(s): The Police
Studio(s): Pathway Studios (1977)

Surrey Sound Studios (1978)

Released as single? B-SIDE

"Dead End Job" is a song written by Sting and Stewart Copeland and recorded by The Police in 1977 (unreleased) and again in 1978.

About the song

Stewart Copeland recorded the original Sleaze Casino demo on 1976-01-26, with just guitar and bass. He used some drums he recorded with Tony Reeves on 1976-02-26 to do a second demo version.

This is one of the very first songs Sting so-wrote for The Police. Stewart Copeland already had the music, Sting did the lyrics. It was already performed live before Andy Summers joined the band.

The Police recorded this song on 1977-08-10 when Henry Padovani was still a member - with John Cale as producer. The 1977 version doesn't feature any newspaper reading. Stewart's drums are a bit irritating, he uses a lot of toms and his hi-hat (foot pedal probably) plays 1-2-3-4 continuously... Andy Summers solo is a "normal" rock'n'roll solo compared to the experimental stuff on the 1978 version.

The part with "The queue gets longer every day" has different lyrics.

The version that was eventually released as the b-side of Can't Stand Losing You was a re-recording from 1978-01-17. There's an alternate mix for the 1978 version which starts with more newspaper noises before the count-in. The channels seem to be flipped, Andy Summers reading the newspaper is on the right, the bass is on the left.

According to Nigel Gray Sting chose the version that was eventually released.

Personnel

1977:

1978:

Release History

Albums

Dead End Job appears on the following album releases:

Cover art Album title Release date Release country
Police-album-messageinaboxthecompleterecordings.jpg Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings 1993-MM-DD UK
Every Move You Make.jpg Flexible Strategies.jpg Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings / Flexible Strategies 2018-11-16 UK

Singles

CD Singles

Cover art Catalog no. Songs Release date Release country
Stub.gif Catalog no. "Song"(s) YYYY-MM-DD Country

7" Singles

Cover art Catalog no. A-side song/B-side song Release date Release country
1978cantstandlosingyou.jpg AMS 7381 "Can't Stand Losing You"/"Dead End Job" 1978-08-14 UK


Video

"SONG TITLE" appears on the following video and dvd releases:

Cover art Video title Release date Release country
Stub.gif Video or dvd title YYYY-MM-DD Country


Awards, nominations, and certifications

Awards

This section needs more information.

Year Winner Award Category
YYYY WINNER (album, song, producer, etc.) AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) CATEGORY

Nominations

This section needs more information.

Year Nominee Award Category
YYYY NOMINEE (album, song, producer, etc.) AWARD (Grammy, People's Choice, etc.) CATEGORY

Certifications

This section needs more information.

Country Certifier Classification Certification
COUNTRY CERTIFIER (RIAA, IFPI...) CLASSIFICATION (Album, singles, foreign artist...) CERTIFICATION (Gold, Platinum, Diamond...)

Lyrics

Lyrics are property and copyright of their owners, and provided here for educational purposes only.

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

The queue gets longer every day
I just ain't got time to stay
I ain't gonna run away
All I want to do is play

Don't wanna be no teacher
Don't wanna be no slave
Don't wanna work no assembly line
Like my uncle Dave

The queue gets longer every day
I just ain't got time to stay
I ain't gonna run away
All I wanna do is play

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

The queue gets longer everyday
All I wanna do is play
I just ain't got time to stay
But I ain't gonna run away

Don't wanna be no millionaire
Don't wanna own no mint
I don't wanna be no tax exile
And I don't mind being skint


I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

Don't wanna be no teacher
Don't wanna be no slave
Don't wanna be no assembly line
Like my uncle Dave

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't - no

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

Don't wanna be no millionaire
I don't wanna own no mint
I don't wanna be no tax exile
And I don't mind being skint

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't ----- oh

(guitar solo)

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't ...

I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number
I don't want no dead end job
I don't wanna be no number

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

Don't wanna be no millionaire
I don't wanna own no mint
I don't wanna be no tax exile
And I don't mind being skint

World is turning every day
Dole queue longer every way

I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
I don't want no dead end job
etc...

Quotations and trivia

This section needs more information.

Alternate and cover versions

See also

External links

This section needs more information.

References

sources: Craig Betts, Stewart Copeland's Police Diaries