Cover art for Temporary Secretary by Paul McCartney

Temporary Secretary

May. 16, 19801 viewer26.3K views

Temporary Secretary Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Mister Marks, can you find for me
Someone strong and sweet fitting on my knee?

She can keep her job if she gets it wrong
Ah, but, Mister Marks, I won't need her long
All I need is help for a little while
We can take dictation and learn to smile
And a temporary secretary is what I need for to do the job
I need a—

[Chorus]
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary


[Verse 2]
Mister Marks, could you send her quick?
'Cause my regular has been getting sick
I need a—

[Chorus]
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary


[Verse 3]
Mister Marks, I can pay her well
If she comes along and can stay a spell
I will promise now that I'll treat her right
And will rarely keep her 'til late at night
I need a—
[Bridge]
She can be a belly dancer, I don't need a true romancer
She can be a diplomat, but I don't need a girl like that
She can be a neurosurgeon if she's doing nothing urgent
What I need's a temporary, temporary secretary
I need a, I need a—

[Chorus]
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary
Temporary secretary


[Verse 4]
Now, Mister Marks, when I send her back
Will you please make sure she stays on the right track?
Well, I know how hard it is for young girls these days
In the face of everything, to stay on the right track


[Bridge]
She can be a belly dancer, I don't need a true romancer
She can be a diplomat, but I don't need a girl like that
She can be a neurosurgeon, if she's doing nothing urgent
What I need's a temporary, temporary secretary

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About

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Genius Annotation

the joke is jerry temporary

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Paul McCartney say about "Temporary Secretary"?
Genius Answer

It’s like a disposable secretary, and it struck me as being funny. The song is written from the point of view of a fellow who just wants a disposable secretary, and he’s writing to a bureau to try and get one. I just like the idea. I just thought it was funny, you know, asking for a temporary secretary rather than a secretary. That sound on the track, which is like a space typewriter, is a sequence machine. I used that to give me a tempo and, again, I just made the song up as I went along. It was a little influenced by Ian Dury. – [x]

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