"Grounds for Divorce" is the first single from Elbow

Elbow (band)

Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...

's fourth studio album The Seldom Seen Kid

The Seldom Seen Kid

The Seldom Seen Kid is the fourth studio album by the progressive rock/alternative rock band Elbow. It was released by Fiction Records on 17 March 2008 in the United Kingdom and was released by Geffen Records on 22 April 2008 in the United States...

.

Background

The single was released on 10 March 2008 as the band's first release on Fiction Records

Fiction Records

Fiction Records is a UK label founded by Chris Parry in 1978 that is best known for being the home of The Cure for over 20 years. Formerly independent, the label is now owned by Polydor, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.-History:...

 across two 7" vinyl records and one CD single. The song marked the band's joint-highest charting single to date, peaking at #19 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 ...

, becoming also their third UK Top 20 success and their sixth UK Top 40 entry. Frontman Guy Garvey

Guy Garvey

Guy Edward John Patrick Garvey , is the singer/guitarist in the band Elbow, as well as a presenter for BBC 6 Music and A&R manager of Skinny Dog Records...

 told Uncut

UNCUT (magazine)

Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...

 that "'Grounds for Divorce' was written when I was in an unhappy relationship." On 21 May 2009, "Grounds for Divorce" won the Ivor Novello award for Best Contemporary Song.

Promotion

"Grounds for Divorce" was featured in the promotional trailer for Valve Corporation

Valve Corporation

Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...

's 2008 game Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...

, and in the trailer for the 2008 film Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading is a 2008 black comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Brad Pitt. It was released in the United States on September 12, 2008, and it was released on October 17, 2008...

. An instrumental version was also featured on Series 12, Episode 1

Top Gear (series 12)

The 12th series of Top Gear contained eight episodes, and premiered on 2 November 2008, with the usual presenting team of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig. Clarkson was injured while filming the series, after crashing a lorry through a brick wall at 56 mph in the first...

 of the British motoring show Top Gear and was played at the opening montage which contained clips from the upcoming episodes, as well as in the third episode of the same series.
"Grounds for Divorce" was also featured in the 8th episode for the 5th season, and promos for the 6th season of the TV-show House MD

House (TV series)

House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...

. Also appeared in episode 521 of Rescue Me

Rescue Me (TV series)

Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...

. It appeared in the soundtrack of DiRT 2, a rallying video game. In 2009, the riff was used on the Hairy Bikers Food Tour of Britain

The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain

The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain is a 2009 BBC television cookery programme which is presented by The Hairy Bikers: Dave Myers and Si King....

 TV show, whilst showcasing the professional chef opponent in the taste-off, as well as by The Apprentice contestant Chris Bates, in the final episode of series six in an advert for an alcoholic drink. The song is also on the soundtrack for a 2011 video game, Driver: San Francisco

Driver: San Francisco

Driver: San Francisco is a sandbox-style action driving video game developed by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. The game formally was unveiled at E3 2010 and was released in Australia on September 1, 2011, Europe on September 2, 2011 and North America on September 6, 2011 on...

.

Track listing

CD single

1. "Grounds for Divorce" – 3:40
2. "Hotel Istanbul" – 7:01

7" vinyl #1

1. "Grounds for Divorce" – 3:41
2. "Our Little Boat" – 2:58

7" vinyl #2

1. "Grounds for Divorce" – 3:41
2. "A Regret" – 1:09