"Accidents Will Happen" is a song by Elvis Costello. It first appeared on the 1979 album Armed Forces, which he recorded with The Attractions. In reference to the song title, the cover of the single was printed inside-out, and the run-out groove on side A reads "Proxy Prime Cuts Will Happen". The record had a double B-side, "Talking in the Dark" and "Wednesday Week".
The accompanying music video, by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, was one of the 35 videos selected for the Museum of Modern Art's prestigious "Golden Oldies Of Music Video" exhibition in 2003. [1]
In 2004, Entertainment Weekly voted it as one of Costello's top 10 greatest tunes.[2]
The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is known for naming episodes after hit songs from the 1980s, named a controversial two part episode after this song in 2004.
Japanese singer Kyosuke Himuro covered this song.[3]
In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Elliott's brother, Michael, sings this song in the family kitchen after coming home from school.[4]