Where’s Bucks Fizz?
According to The Time Out London, the Fifty Best Songs about London. For a list that celebrates the obscure and, well, tries to overdo its cool and hip quotient a bit too far, perhaps it is surprising that Ralph McTell’s “Streets Of London” rocks in at Number One. It is indelibly a London song, and a prominent one, but not the version I would choose. Clearly the most London version of “Streets Of London” is the one you just heard being murdered by a busker accidentally singing into his Dylan harmonica and with an individual approach to guitar tuning. They often show you something that will make you change your mind.
Except buskers don’t do “Streets Of London” any more. It has been an age since I heard it down in a tube station at any time (number 8). “Waterloo Sunset” on the other hand I heard busked under Waterloo Bridge two weeks ago. Other lists have posited that as number one. Which make it all the more surprising that the Sex Pistols “God Save The Queen” comes in third. Clearly by a London band, clearly very attached to London landmarks, but is it really a London song?
Frankly any list where Lily Allen’s “LDN” comes in at thirty five and has no Carter in is flawed. But then all lists like that are flawed (often by not having Carter in them). Its the quality of the bitching they provoke that matters.
Pete Baran in FT • Pop • 2,579 views
blimey, that’s a shocker. what has i luv you got to do with london??? and WHERE IS THE CARTER????
(also, when did TO become so on-line?)
At least Smiley Culture gets a look-in!
World-famous-I’m-humming-it-now “Sheila” by Jamie T at number four.
Delete Time Out plz – I doubt they’d have me back after that Nelly review anyway…
“The story is self-explanatory” sez Bruce Foxton on “Down In The Tube Station At Midnight”.
as the commentors point out there, no London Calling either (good), but no London Boys by either bowie or bolan…
Nearly thirty years on and I still require explanation of why he was hanging about in said tube station with a takeaway curry and why he and his wife had dinner parties at two in the morning and most importantly WHY HE TOLD THE THUGS HE HAD A LITTLE MONEY?????????
Also as a commentist points out, Madness???
disgraceful omission #1:
Oranges and lemons” say the Bells of St. Clement’s
You owe me five farthings” say the Bells of St. Martin’s
When will you pay me?” say the Bells of Old Bailey
When I grow rich” say the Bells of Shoreditch
When will that be?” say the Bells of Stepney
I do not know” say the Great Bells of Bow
Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
do we have it in us to come up with a quick response OUR top 15 london songs?
We have it within us to do it in the pub surely?
Saint Etienne – London Belongs To Me
Big Audio Dynamite – Sightsee MC
Donovan – Sunny Goodge Street
yes but can we then get them written up quickly enough?
Wombles Of SW19 Common Are We
st et and de o’novan are in the TO list, marcello
they are as well. bad layout/artists’ materials excuse, sigh…
surely that Billy Bragg song is about how to get Essex Boys OUT of London as fast as possible? also that Smiths song is k-rub
on behalf of The Lex I’ll nominate T. Amos’s cover of ‘London Girls’ for the FT alternalist
I think that Smith’s song is great, but properly speaking it’s set in Manchester, treating London merely as mythical destination for people turning their back on THE NORTH (at least partly inspired by the key scene in Billy Liar where he doesn’t get on the train). Half A Person being the Smiths song about what actually happens if you do get to the corrupting capital…
Where’s the Lambeth Walk?
OI!
Awful grocer’s apostrophe there. The shame of it: it just needs to be ‘that Smiths song’.
is Fergie’s London Bridge actually about London Bridge, or is it a veiled metaphor for something else i wonder?
Let’s see…
Oh shit (oh shit) Oh shit (oh shit) Oh shit (oh shit)
Are you ready for this? Oh shit (oh shit)
Ohhhhh It’s me, Fergie
The Pimp! Paulo!
Fergie Ferg, what’s up, baby?
[Verse 1]
When I come to the club, step aside.
Part the seas, don’t be havin’ me in the line.
V.I.P., ‘cause you know I gotta shine.
I’m Fergie Ferg, and me love you long time
All my girls get down on the floor,
Back to back, drop it down real low.
I’m such a lady, but I’m dancing like a ho,
‘Cause you know
I don’t give a fuck, so here we go!
[Chorus]
How come everytime you come around,
My London, London bridge, wanna go down like,
London, London, London, wanna go down like,
London, London, London, we goin’ down like…
How come everytime you come around,
My London, London bridge, wanna go down like,
London, London, London, wanna go down like,
London, London, London, we goin’ down like…
[Bridge]Now As The drinks start pouring,
And my speech start slurring,
Everybody start looking real good.
[Verse 2] Grey goose got your girl feeling loose.
Now I’m wishin’ that I didn’t wear these shoes. (I hate heels)
It’s like everytime I get up on the dew,
Paparazzi put my business in the news.
And I’m like get up out my face, (oh shit)
‘fore I turn around and spray your ass with mace. (oh shit)
My lips make you wanna have a taste. (oh shit)
You got that?
I got the bass.
[Chorus] x 2
[Bridge 2}
Aah, da, da, da, da, do, do, do, do
Me like a bullet type, you know they comin' right
Fergie love em' long time
My girls support right?
Aah, da, da, da, da, do, do, do, do
Me like a bullet type you know they comin' right
Fergie lve em' long time
My girls support right?
[Verse 1]
When I come to the club, step aside.
Pop the seats, don’t be hatin’ me in the line.
V.I.P., ‘cause you know I gotta shine.
I’m Fergie Ferg,give me love you long time
All my girls get down on the floor,
Back to back, drop it down real low.
I’m such a lady, but I’m dancing like a ho,
‘Cause you know
I don’t give a fuck, so here we go!
[Chorus] x2
Fuck you, bitches.
Re: London Bridge, I think that like Milkshake, it’s a non-specific (& probably nonsensical if you try to think about it too much) bit of dirtiness – a signifier with no signified (maybe).
Of course it is Tower Bridge which goes up, and then (key point) Goes Down. London Bridge falls down, which isn’t anywhere near as dirty.
The chorus would be better as “How come everytime you come around,
My Dirty, Dirty Crossword, wanna go down like…Dirty Dirty Crossword…”
“Girl VII” by Saint Etienne too, though it mentions a lot of non-London places…
er, London
n.heyward
..and what a waste
for fulham railway station, misquoted as fulham broadway station in smash hits, i guess either will suffice
Madness absence is strange indeed. Maybe it’s because their most specifically London songs weren’t Big Singles, or something.
Top Madness London songs:
1. Mr Speaker (Gets the Word)
2. Primrose Hill
3. Day on the Town
4. Victoria Gardens
5. One Better Day