"A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" is an indie-rock song written by Billy Reeves

Billy Reeves

Billy Reeves is a British songwriter, musician, record producer and broadcaster.In the early 1990s he formed the band Congregation , releasing one album, Egham, on the Fire Records label for whom Reeves has previously worked as a public relations manager. The group never achieved much success...

 for Theaudience

Theaudience

Theaudience were a Britpop group active in the 1990s. They released one album and saw three singles enter the UK Singles Chart. The band's singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor became a successful solo artist after the band's disbandment....

's epynomous album Theaudience

Theaudience (album)

Theaudience is the debut album from British band Theaudience. The album was released on August 17, 1998, peaking at #22 on the UK Albums Chart. The band featured now-solo artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor on lead vocals.-Background:...

, released as the third single on May 11, 1998. "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" became one of the band's most popular songs, peaking at #27 on the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

. The B-sides for the single include a French language version of "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed", a previous unreleased song, "I Miss Leo", a cover of the Supermodel

Supermodel

The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...

 song "Penis Size and Cars", three unreleased demos from the group's Blah St. recording sessions, and an extended version of "Bells for David Keenan" from the group's debut album. The song was performed by lead vocalist Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...

on her 2002 Read My Lips solo tour, and the video was included on her subsequent DVD release, Watch My Lips. For radio play, the line "and we all sing the same fucking song" was replaced with "and we all sing the same stupid song".

Track listing

UK CD Single #1 (AUDCD3)

1. "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" – 3:46
2. "Penis Size and Cars" – 2:58
3. "Ne Jamais Deçu" – 3:37
4. "I Miss Leo" – 1:44

UK CD Single #2 (AUDDD3)

1. "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" – 3:46
2. "Ten Minutes Which Improved My Life" – 9:26
3. "Never Gonna Give It to You" – 3:19
4. "I'm Always Ready" – 4:11

UK Limited Edition Vinyl (AUDVN3)

1. "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed" – 3:46
2. "Penis Size and Cars" – 2:58
3. "Bells for David Keenan" (Extended Mix) – 2:22