"Tempted" is a song by the British rock band Squeeze. Written by the Squeeze songwriting team of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, the song features lyrics inspired by Difford's experiences on an American tour and an arrangement inspired by the Temptations. "Tempted" is one of a few Squeeze songs with Paul Carrack as lead vocalist, at the suggestion of producer Elvis Costello.
"Tempted" was released as the second single from their fourth album, East Side Story, in 1981. The single was only a moderate chart hit at the time; however, it has since become one of the band's most famous songs, appearing in movies, TV shows, video games, and commercials. It has also seen critical acclaim and has become a mainstay of the band's live setlist, often being sung by Tilbrook.
Background
"Tempted" was cowritten by Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. Difford wrote the lyrics while the band was taking a taxi to Heathrow Airport. The descriptions of the city and airport sights are interspersed with the narrator's ruminations on a relationship that is failing, or has failed, due to his own infidelities. As Difford recalled,
Release
"Tempted" was released as the second single from the band's 1981 album East Side Story. The single was only a moderate success on the charts, reaching number 41 in the UK,[12] number 45 in Canada, number 49 in the US, number 90 in Australia. Over the years it has become one of Squeeze's best-known songs; as Stewart Mason of AllMusic remarked, "Although its increasing ubiquity on '80s hits radio and on television (it was used in a successful clothing commercial in 2003) would suggest otherwise, Squeeze's 'Tempted' was not actually a hit single."[1]
In 1994, Squeeze remixed and overdubbed the original recording to create a 'new' version of the song for the soundtrack to the film Reality Bites. This version received some radio airplay and was dubbed "Tempted '94". It can also be heard in the TV show Ashes to Ashes and The Office.
In 2010, the song appeared in re-recorded form on Spot the Difference, a retrospective of Squeeze hits performed by the 2010 edition of the band. Though Carrack was no longer a member of Squeeze at this point, he sat in as a guest and sang lead vocals on this re-recorded track.
Reception
Record World said that Squeeze provides a "somewhat novel approach" to the common pop music theme of temptation.[13]
Stewart Mason of AllMusic lauded the track "a blue-eyed soul classic like no other".[1]Rolling Stone praised Carrack's singing on the song, commenting, "Paul Carrack's soulful crooning, a highlight of the blue-eyed R&B strut 'Tempted,' is a welcome addition."[14]American Songwriter similarly praised the song, calling it the "centerpiece" of East Side Story and stating, "Difford and Tilbrook, with a big assist from Carrack, sure captured Beatlesque pop perfection with 'Tempted.'"[15]
Other notable versions
In 1997, original Squeeze keyboardist Jools Holland covered the song on his album Lift the Lid, which was a nod to his history with the band.
↑Shipley, Al (12 April 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 1981". Spin. Retrieved 24 May 2025. Paul Carrack was Squeeze's keyboard player for less than a year in the early '80s — and during his original tenure, he only sang lead on one song: the blue-eyed soul gem 'Tempted.'
