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The Specials - 'You're Wondering Now' (The Specials - 1979)

Having featured an artist earlier this week who famously recorded a song in a toilet thirty years ago, we are now turning to a song that opens with an attempted bathroom visit. ‘You're Wondering Now’ by The Specials, a cover from their eponymous, Elvis Costello-produced 1979 debut album, is a song with a musical heritage and an interesting and evolving place in the band's repertoire afterwards.

"You're Wondering Now" was originally performed by the duo Andy & Joey and later covered by The Skatalites; the vocal version was recorded by Andy & Joey in 1964. With its distinct ska rhythm, the Coxsone Dodd song became a staple in the genre.

The Skatalites were pivotal in developing ska, and their song version encapsulates the upbeat, dance-oriented sound that defined early ska music. Of course, Coventry’s finest were also crucial in bringing that ska sound to a mass audience in the UK, with their 2 Tone movement effectively blending the ethos, spirit and DIY nature of punk with the rhythms and energy of ska. In the same way that early rock and roll albums contained covers which were a nod to the influences of the second wave of rock musicians like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, The Specials paid tribute by bringing to new ears works by such vital figures as The Skatalites, Toots and The Maytals, Dandy Livingstone and Price Buster.

The lyrics of ‘You're Wondering Now’ speak of the end of a relationship, with a tone that is at once playful and sombre - a duality that captures the essence of The Specials' music. You can dance to it, and it can make you think. The ability to address serious themes through an energetic and engaging medium is one in which the band excels, unlike nearly any other.

The song’s placement as the closing track on The Specials' debut album is worthy of acknowledging; it serves as a bookend to an album that mixes social commentary, sharp wit, and musical experimentation. The choice to end the album with a song that harks back to the origins of ska can be seen as a statement of respect and a nod to the genre's roots, even as the band was pushing its boundaries outside the lines drawn by its Caribbean pioneers.

The Specials' version of ‘You're Wondering Now’ wasn’t a single, but as a stable in their live set, they’ve played it live more often than ‘Ghost Town’ and have carved out a niche for them as a set closer both in their heyday and more recently. Part of that more recently, or at least this century, has been the performances of the song by Amy Winehouse¹, both with and without The Specials.

Ending their debut album with ‘You're Wondering Now’, The Specials not only tip their hats to ska's rich history but also add their indelible mark to its tapestry. With its infectious rhythm and reflective lyrics, this track is an era and a band at a crucial crossroads. It's not just a closing song; it's a musical bridge connecting the vibrant past of Ska with the dynamic future of the 2 Tone movement and later with an artist occasionally mining that same well to great success.

1. Winehouse also frequently covered ‘Monkey Man’, which also appears on The Specials.