Mayor of Simpleton

It began as a reggae tune and went through many versions. Partridge found a picking pattern moving from C major to D major that he thought resembled Blue Öyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper, and settled on the final arrangement from there. Pat Mastelotto played drums, and Gregory played the twelve-string guitar on the final recording. Partridge gave Moulding a specific bass part, which he wanted to behave like the perfect counterpoint to chords and melody.

Partridge said the lyrics were partly autobiographical and drew on his fading interest in school as a teenager. He was criticised for the song's resemblance to Sam Cooke's Wonderful World, and denied copying it on purpose. The single reached number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on its Alternative Songs chart, and number 46 in the UK.