‘Tomorrow’s Just Another Day’: Elvis Costello’s favourite song by Madness
Elvis Costello‘s favourite song is not one of Madness’ greatest hits, but it undoubtedly leaves a mark on fans.
Madness has always run circles as the most prominent of the two-tone ska revival of the late 1970s, but 1982 solidified that run in the league of icons when they released the cut that Elvis Costello hails as their greatest. The band had found some success with their debut record, gaining significant traction in their native London, but the 1980s brought them the mainstream red carpet they’d been hustling for.
The Rise & Fall graced the UK in 1982, and while it didn’t see an American release, it made some waves across the pond. They originally conceived the record as a concept album, a record inspired by the feeling of childhood nostalgia, but as the studio work progressed, they discarded the idea of it being a ruling motif and instead used it as one of the threads in the stitching, and it’s something the band is very proud of.
“It was the first album we made that was an album, not just a collection of songs,” vocalist Graham ‘Suggs’ McPherson gushed. “We were definitely conscious of a change while making The Rise & Fall,” Chrissy Boy added, “Maybe everyone was a bit mad at the time. I don’t think I was too happy”.
The Rise & Fall includes Madness’s greatest hit, ‘Our House’, the song that opens side two of the vinyl. That song not only encapsulated the meaning of the record perfectly, but its success effectively overshadowed all the other incredible tracks.
When Vanity Fair asked him to name his favourite Madness song, Elvis Costello picked a track that was not a deep cut, but also not one of Madness’s most played songs, their second song off the record, ‘Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day)’.
This cut definitely has a nostalgic vibe to it that eases the listener into the loose theme of the album. The narrator is going through a hard time, seemingly can’t catch a break, but somewhat consoles himself with the knowledge that “tomorrow’s just another day”, turning the hopelessness of the present into a rousing looking forward.
Later in the song, the narrator reflects on a simpler time of possibly childhood innocence, when things were easier, offsetting it with struggles of lost friendships and yearning for the possibility of a second chance. Very relatable lyrics accompanied by Madness’s signature upbeat melodies that never fail to put the listener in a good mood, regardless of how depressing the subject between the lyrics.
Costello is not the only one to hold this song in high regard. The band themselves love it, perhaps even more than they do their biggest hit. Boy even admitted that he had higher expectations for this track than for ‘Our House’. “It did well, but I thought it was going to be number one,” the guitarist shared, “It was one of my favourite singles. I thought: ‘This is the one’.”
“It was about the downness of life,” Suggs confirmed. He added that he thought the video would make it a hit. “Then we did the video and it was, wallop, off we go!”
But even if the song didn’t do as well as they hoped, it did reach the heart of one of the greatest songwriters in the UK. Elvis Costello loved it so much that he even guested on a version featured on the 12” single.
