Song of the Day — February 23
Dream Academy — “Life in a Northern Town” — 1985
Dream Academy — “Life in a Northern Town” — 1985
23.February.2021
Dream Academy
“Life in a Northern Town”
1985
All these years and I had just presumed that “Life in a Northern Town” was about the UK miners' strike in 1984–85.
It turns out it’s not. Well, not exactly anyway.
“Life in a Northern Town” was written by Dream Academy members Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel at the very start of their career.
In a 2011 interview with Mojo Magazine, Laird-Clowes recalled how the song was written on two guitars in Gabriels flat. One had three nylon strings on it, and the other was the same guitar used on the cover of Nick Drake’s second studio album, Bryter Layter.
Like many British musicians then and now, Nick Drake had a profound influence on them. So much so with Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel dedicated the song “Life in a Northern Town” to Nick Drake.
Over the years, many have thought the song was about Nick Drake, but it isn’t. The writers dedicated the song to Drake.
In the same Mojo interview, Laird-Clowes said the song was really about “the long lines of people unemployed and the shipyards that were closed down.” So, not about the UK miners’ strike, but the collapse of the UK shipping industry. Laird-Clowes continued: “That’s what ‘Life in Northern Town’ is really all about.”
Two music legends helped guide the success of “Life in a Northern Town,” Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Paul Simon.
Gilmour helped produce their self-titled debut, The Dream Academy, with Nick Laird-Clowes. The debut album, The Dream Academy, received mostly favorable reviews when it was released in 1985.
[Fun Fact: Another producer on the album was Alan Tarney (who had a Song of the Day in December with “No Time to Lose”).
There is an airy, almost dream-like vibe to it. The songs chorus chant of “Ah Hey Ma Ma Ma” begs you to close your eyes and sing along. It’s a sublime blend of an African-style chorus and a folk song, just as the writers intended.
After befriending Paul Simon, Laird-Clowes played the song for him. Simon asked: “What are you going to call it — ‘Ah Hey Ma Ma Ma?’” He told them the song's original title, “Morning Lasted All Day,” to which Simon said: “That’s no good.”
Thus “Life in a Northern Town” was named.
The song has been called everything from “new wave” to “dream-pop” and even “baroque pop” — whatever you want to call it, it’s a great song. Still.
Although Nick Drake and empty shipyards inspired the song, it’s not very literal in the lyrics. I’m a little hazy about what the song is truly about.
But whatever “Life in a Northern Town” is about is of little consequence because the song’s beauty is that it will take you away from wherever you are. And like every great song by every artist before and since, this song is transcendent. In fact, this song is so good it transcends genre.
At the 2008 CMT Music Awards, the band Sugarland feat Jake Owen & Little Big Town covered “Life in a Northern Town.”
Now that may have you scratching your head, but it’s surprisingly effective. No easy feat, but a true testament to the quality of the song.
Their record company's infinite wisdom did not want to release “Life in a Northern Town” as a single. Still, the band stood their ground …and ended up with a worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in the US, Ireland, Australia, and Canada and peaking at #15 in the UK.
When the marginally countrified version began getting airplay, it ended up charting on both the Billboard Hot Country and the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In fact, this would be the first Top 40 chart entry for both Little Big Town and Jake Owen.
Great songs cuts across time, space, and sometimes genre. One of the many reasons “Life in a Northern Town” is just a great song.