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Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

Started by James T · 7 months ago

The lyrics tell the story of an unnamed narrator, travelling home, who enters a London Underground station at midnight. He is carrying a take-away meal for himself and his wife. As he attempts to buy a ticket for his train, he is accosted by two thugs (who smell of pubs, Wormwood Scrubs an ... Continue reading »

39 comments

  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    You are certainly coming up with the classics here Stevie. An unbelievably brilliant song from an unbelievably brilliant album. 'Headlines of death and sorrow, they tell of tomorrow, madmen on the rampage.' And no, I was not describing Kilwinning again Stevie Li Li !
    reply
  • James T

    7 months ago

    pure and utter magic stevie, this narration helps anyone not of our time actually understand that in our day songs had some story behind them....
    reply
  • Janny

    7 months ago

    Would echo that Jimmy, urban folk tale indeed, songs with a narrative/ meaning are hard to find these days!!
    reply
  • CharlieM

    7 months ago

    Briliant Stevie, good things ahead indeed!!! Classic song, remember hearing this at parties in Easterhouse, I can still remember this exact clip on "Top Of The Pops" when it was first shown, yep I'm old!!!
    reply
  • CharlieM

    7 months ago

    I don't know about that Janny, there is a song called "I Kissed A Girl" What rocket scientist came up with that subliminal classic ?? The mind boggles!!
    reply
  • jackie

    7 months ago

    Good one yet again Stevie,i haven't listened to The Jam for a little while this has made me put it on on the car great stuff.


    And Chris i lived in Kilwinning for a few years don't remember it being that bad in fact don't think it was any worse than anywhere else!!LI LI
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    This is becoming too much Jackie. First Stevie comes out with some incredible porkie about there being schools in Kilwinning, and then you come out in support of him by asserting that not only did you stay in it and survive, but it was also not any worse than anywhere else Li Li ! I had thought that you stayed in the posh Glasgow satellite of EK as well.
    reply
  • jackie

    7 months ago

    Chris i am an EK girl through through ,i lived in Kilwinning for a few years when i was going out with Shaun.
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    Confessions of an EK girl ! haha
    reply
  • jackie

    7 months ago

    Haha wouldn't you like to know!!
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    I was sure you were from EK Jackie. Well done for surviving the trauma of spending some time in Kilwinning. Was it that that made you move away to the furthest away part of England to escape it Li Li !
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    Better quality of livestock. Jackies a farm hand girl haha
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    That is obviously a personal joke thing between you and Jackie. But all I would say is that Ayrshire is famous for its cows. And before anyone gets all irate, I mean the four legged variety.
    reply
  • jackie

    7 months ago

    yeah something like that Chris LI LI
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    Stevie any particular reason YOU actually picked this track, does it have a work connection for you ? are The Jam standing at the head wall or the tail wall ? what was the name of the tube station their standing in ?
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    It may well be NG that just like Janny's mystery venue, we never find out what tube station it was. The only clues I can offer is that there was some 'Jesus saves' grafitti on the wall, and also a British Rail poster saying 'Have an away day.' Li Li !
    reply
  • stevie fae cranhill

    7 months ago

    Could be an interesting Jam themed railway post...how exciting!

    Well it looks like that tube train is heading for Wimbledon (and the name ends in 'EE...').

    And in the 'Strange Town' video they get out at Brixton

    Actually now i've remembered that god awful version of 'Going Underground' that was about London Underground - i absolutely detest it - the lyrics are moronic
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    I would have thought that the railway thing would have been right up your street Stevie. You obviously know it is heading towards Wimbledon. Maybe it is the Jubilee station, or is that only a line and not a station.

    Also, what is the 'god awful' version of Going Underground that you are referring to. The only one that I know is the 1980 Jam classic, and that is certainly not even awful.
    reply
  • stevie fae cranhill

    7 months ago

    just think yourself lucky if you haven't heard it, Chris - some guy did a version of Going Underground but with lyrics about London Underground - he goes on about them being a bunch of c*nts and wanting to shoot them all with a rifle, and so on - all the idiots have it on their mobile phones down here.
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    Thank goodness I have not heard it so far Stevie. It sounds like a mad person sort of rant. Maybe the counter terrorist police squad should hear it and they may make an arrest, or worse, knowing the Met/Keystone Cops.
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    Need to get this post back on track its been de-railed haha

    I disagree Stevie, now I knew the station, and I'm sure the destination on the tube is Walthamstow which would mean the Victoria line, I'll need to do some research again.

    As for the Going Underground track it was awful, is it not a big hit on youtube ?
    reply
  • stevie fae cranhill

    7 months ago

    ref: anoraks at dawn

    Aha, got there before you NG:

    In October of 1978 The Jam released their sixth single, "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight". It peaked at number 15 in the UK charts.

    The cover photograph was taken on the Westbound platform at Bond Street station, on the Central Line of the London Underground.
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    Thats two people saying Bond Street just got a reply from London also saw someone saying St Johns Wood on the web !!! it easy to get lost in a "strange Town"

    Just for the record, 630 volts 420 positive 210 negative thats what powers the tube trains haha
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    Well done MR S (Sherlock) Hughes. That means that NG can now concentrate on the more close to home mystery.

    Now that the railway mystery is formed how do people rate 'Tube Station' in terms of their favourite Jam songs. It would certainly be one of my all time faves, up there with 'To be Someone,' 'Thick as Thieves,' 'Tales from the Riverbank,' 'Eton Rifles,' and 'Strange Town.' But not good as 'When You're Young' or 'That's Entertainment.'
    reply
  • stevie fae cranhill

    7 months ago

    What about 'Away From The Numbers' i always liked that - and it's possibly The Jam's most MOD song....
    reply
  • Chris C

    7 months ago

    A good song Stevie, from their first album if I remember correctly. My own favourite from 'In the City' was 'Time for Truth.' Another one from that album that had Mod (ish) connections was 'Non stop Dancing,' about the late 70s northern soul scene.
    reply
  • jackie

    7 months ago

    Thick as Thieves is my favourite Jam song followed by Away from the Numbers and Its Too Bad.
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    Great choices Jackie. I have a box set of The Jam and I could honestly just play the whole thing (just about) without having to bother about skipping a song, much the same way as when NG put's on a Ska album Li Li !
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    .....and what would I be doing with an "ASK" LP !
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    Listening to some great songs and tunes maybe. When you next come up for a cuppa I will let you hear some seriously good Jamaica Ska classics. You will never look back, believe me NG.
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    You've still not solved the great Janny mystery venue conundrum yet NG. Maybe you should stick to solving mysteries in a great city before you 'Start' looking into Jam one's in some unknown, rundown place in Yorkshire Li Li !
    reply
  • CharlieM

    7 months ago

    Anorak time N.G, I think its Oxford Circus, what do you think??
    reply
  • CharlieM

    7 months ago

    If it has 2 EEs could be "Easterhouse"............. just getting my coat!!
    reply
  • NGMods

    7 months ago

    Also would just like to say, it's very hard to pick a top track or even a top three as there all favourites with me, It would be better to pick a track which isn't a favourite something like "Monday"..........
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    The few that I can think of that I am not so keen on come mostly from The Gift. The Batman Theme on In the City is also not really my cup of tea either.
    reply
  • Fitzy

    7 months ago

    i am not the bigest jam fan but is all this talk because the tribute band is playing through in motherwell, if so get yourselves there and enjoy them for what they where, a good band at the time.
    I think the write up's you's guys give are fantastic, keep up the good work.
    reply
  • stevie fae cranhill

    7 months ago

    Well it was also 30 years ago (on this very month) that 'All Mod Cons' was released...so it had to be mentioned.

    i dont know about 1978 but i know in the 80's the music being played on TOTP etc was dreadful - i hated all that stuff - Duran Duran, Modern Romance, Kajagoogoo...the list is endless. And then i remember all the footballers would always say they liked U2, Simple Minds, Big Country - with their stupid trousers in their stupid boots and stupid haircuts!

    So, if the Jam, Style Council or The Truth were to make an appearance on TOTP it was definately something worth watching!
    reply
  • ChrisC

    7 months ago

    Exactly the same memories as me Stevie. I was not really into music too much until I became a Mod in 1980. Before then I was mostly concerned with the football. Despite that I did like a lot of the Mod music when it first came out in 79, but I would also have liked most of the new wave stuff then also.

    After about 81 TOTP became dominted by mostly total garbage music, so anything even decent was like manah from heaven. A lot of people got into U2 and all that stuff in 1983, but it never was and never would be to my liking. I know that even during the Scene Club days there was a fair percentage of Mods who were not 100% keen on The Jam, but I most certainly was. 'All Mod Cons' is where the revival started off as far as I am concerned. In addition to that it is an incredibly brilliant album, even 30 years on.
    reply
  • jackie

    7 months ago

    With you there Stevie bring on the great stuff.
    reply
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