LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN by Dream Academy 1985
"Life in a Northern Town" is a song by British group the Dream Academy. The song was released as a single from the band's debut studio album The Dream Academy, released in 1985. The song was written as an elegy to British folk musician Nick Drake. Written by band members Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel the song was produced by Laird-Clowes with help from Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.The single reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1986. It is the band’s highest-peaking chart single in the United States, the UK, and Ireland.
LYRICS
A Salvation Army band played
And the children drank lemonade
And the morning lasted all day
All day
And the children drank lemonade
And the morning lasted all day
All day
And through an open window came
Like Sinatra in a younger day
Pushing the town away
Ah
Like Sinatra in a younger day
Pushing the town away
Ah
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma-ma
They sat on the stoney ground
And he took a cigarette out
And everyone else came down
To listen
And he took a cigarette out
And everyone else came down
To listen
He said, "In winter 1963
It felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy
And The Beatles"
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy
And The Beatles"
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Hey-ma-ma-ma-ma
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
All the work shut down
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
All the work shut down
The evening turned to rain (The evening turned to rain)
Watched the water roll down the drain
As we followed him down
To the station
Watched the water roll down the drain
As we followed him down
To the station
And though he never would wave goodbye
You could see it written in his eyes
As the train rolled out of sight
Bye-bye
You could see it written in his eyes
As the train rolled out of sight
Bye-bye
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma (Life in a northern town)
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma (All the work shut down)
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma (All the work shut down)
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma (Where ya goin' now?)
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma-ma
Take it easy on yourself
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma-ma
Take it easy on yourself
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma (Take it easy on yourself)
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah