Talk:Life in a Northern Town

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[edit] Life in a midlands town

I don't mean to nitpick but if Tamworth in arden is south of Birmingham then its in the midlands, isn't it? --KaptKos 12:50, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

This article is twaddle, and I'm sure the writer knows it!! Tanworth in Arden is absolutely not a "Northern Town", it's a Staffordshire village. And there is no point even commenting on the attempt to draw a connection between Nick Drake and Frank Sinatra!!! 68.219.175.179 20:06, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

The last verse is a reference to the early 6o's film Billy Liar starring Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie, which features a second to last scene centered on the hero of the story, Billy a compulsive liar and dreamer. In the scene he deserts the girl of his dreams on the railway platform and chooses to live in his fantasies in the Northern Town.She stays on the train and they pass a bittersweet moment as they realize he will stay trapped in his provincial life. 'Though he never would have waved goodbye you could see it written in his eyes as the train pulled out of sight' Watch the film and see what you think? If enough of you agree stick it in. It is a better fit than the Sinatra reference. Colin Lucre

[edit] John F. Kennedy

If this was about an English town, why would the death of an American president matter?

Because the singer is setting the scene for the song, staging it in the early 1960s. JFK's assassination had global signifigance, if you weren't already aware....

Well, the verse is something like He said in winter 1963/It felt like the world would freeze/With John F. Kennedy/And the Beatles. JFK was assassinated that Novemeber, and three months later the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. Prior to that they were virtually unknown in the US, though they had a large following in the UK. So "he" is referring to events that took place in the United States in late 1963/early 1964. Moreover, I always got the impression that "he" was reminiscing, the song is NOT set in the 1960s. The narrator is telling us about a man in the town (HE sat on the stoney ground...and everyone else came down to listen). This man was telling the people about the past. You need to listen more closely, it becomes evident that even though the band was British, this song is set in an American town.

Er, no, you need to. They are an English band from a Northern town (Salford, I think), singing about what they know. Check out the video on YouTube. Plus, is "northern town" an expression you ever hear used in America - it specifically is used in England, to identify towns that had high levels of manufacturing in the 19th century and are now facing high unemployment. Which is what the song is about....

Alright, but it's not set in the 1960s.

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:300life7.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 03:59, 12 February 2008 (UTC)