This 1983 romantic pop song written by British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello plays in the background while Rory watches Tristan watch Summer with some sympathy for his plight; it’s the song that Henry first asks Lane to dance to, promising it will be a “short one” (the song is just under 4 minutes long).
The song is from the Elvis Costello and The Attractions album Punch the Clock, and was their first hit single in the US, getting to #33. It was slightly higher in the UK at #28. One of the most popular of Costello’s songs, it has several times been included on “best of” compilation albums.
The song, which is about a break up, compares the stages of a relationship with chapters in a book, a synonym that Rory would surely understand and approve of.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 