I have always been in metal bands. Throughout my musical "career". People have asked me about my playing style and what my influence (s) is/are. Everyone in the metal world would normally be influenced by such great players as Cliff Burton, Steve Harris or suchlike. Without a thought, I always say Bruce Foxton is my first influence. In fact, the energy and musicality of his playing when put into a metal context makes for a great combination and one, luckily, that falls naturally to me as a player.
Sept 1979 and I'm 14. I skip off school and change into some "mod" clothes and go to Listen Ear record shop in Newcastle. The Jam turn up & I tap Paul on the back as they walk into the shop. He says alright mate and I am floating on air... off to the City Hall that night for an amazing experieince... wish I was 14 again and not 56...
Sammy South - so do many bass players - check out a young woman called Tal Wilkenfield - and what about the late, great Jacko Pastorius? None of which is mean't to denegrate Foxton by the way - oh, and who could forget Stanley Clarke - me obviously - lol!!
I liked the Jam as a kid when they were still together, but really didn't appreciate Foxton until I recently delved back into the Jam again. Foxton has made me appreciate bass for the first time in my life & now I make a point of actively listening to it. My God, the single bass intro note on "Ghosts" is unforgettable.
The Jam are the reason I didn't get lost when I was just a kid looking for his own way in the world. They played the soundtrack of my maturity and formed my musical culture. The Jam are the reason I'm still here ..
@@scottnever8732 Better stop dreaming of the quiet life 'Cause it's the one we'll never know And quit running for that runaway bus 'Cause those rosy days are few And stop apologizing for the things you've never done 'Cause time is short and life is cruel but it's up to us to change This town called Malice Rows and rows of disused milk floats Stand dying in the dairy yard And a hundred lonely housewives clutch empty milk Bottles to their hearts Hanging out their old love letters on the line to dry It's enough to make you stop believing when tears come fast and furious In a town called Malice, yeah Struggle after struggle, year after year The atmosphere's a fine blend of ice I'm almost stone cold dead In a town called Malice, ooh yeah A whole street's belief in Sunday's roast beef Gets dashed against the Co-op To either cut down on beer or the kids new gear It's a big decision in a town called Malice, ooh yeah The ghost of a steam train echoes down my track It's at the moment bound for nowhere just going round and round Playground kids and creaking swings Lost laughter in the breeze Could go on for hours and I probably will But I'd sooner put some joy back in this town called Malice, yeah ooh In this town called Malice, yeah In this town called Malice, ooh yeah
I'm 56 in a few weeks... this is the second best single ever recorded...... The Clash ... White Man is the best.... weird both 1978.... depends on your age.
The complexity of the lyrics in this song goes unnoticed, a full story told, rather than today's music which is a chorus and two verses (if you're lucky) filling up 3 & a half to 5 minutes.
I never really noticed at the time, but listened properly on the radio recently, it's aged so well. Better than most of the poetry I learnt at school. My son now does a good ukulele version!
Lucky enough to have listened in my teens ..introduced by way of a mate at college ..Eton Rifles..but sadly missed the Cramps..so much good sounds then I guess.xx
Could someone please tell me, is this another true story, along with the song Eton Rifles? Did it ever sadly happen, to any of the band, surviving a mugging?
I first felt a fist and then a kick, I could now smell their breath. They smelt of pubs and worm wood scrubs................Weller is a poet for the ages.....
The song that moved them on down the road. For a boy of 20 to write something like this is phenomenal. Musical and so insightful. He'd been exploring the English psyche and you'd see him down the Bag of Nails in Victoria, supping his pint, but that brain was ticking away. The three of them are so tight, one of the great three piece bands. Bruce with that style of his, so funky. When people slag you off for playing bass with a pick... show them this
I recall Weller saying if he hadn't made it by the time he was 18, he was going to pack in...In The City album was released in '77, just before his 18th birthday, so when All Mod Cons was released in '78, it made him 18...
@@thomashardcastle6464 It was probably early 77. They were the backup band to a French rocker name Little Bob Story. I took some excellent color slides, the good ones were permanently borrowed by Lincoln Imlay. I think I went with a Brummie named David Horton. That is all I can remember. Apologies for the lack of exact dates, I will do better next time. They were very good too, jumping all over the place. The crowd stood like statues as was the custom.
One of the greatest tracks - The Jam are absolute legends. Bruce does a lot of work on this track. Underappreciated. I love the way Bruce Foxton plays!! An urban classic. Paul Weller tells the story.
I was in Stockwell station Dec 1987 near midnight and someone was killed two carriages down from where I was sitting. Being down in the tube station at midnight has a special meaning for me.
64 mate, music from my youth , Bruce Foxton’s Bass is top drawer ! For something different have a listen to Amelia Coburn’s (songs from the shed ) acoustic cover 👍
Paul Weller your'e a legend. Your music was the soundtrack of my teens, your songs really captured the essence of Life in England in the late 70's, the politics the weather, society and the dreary boredom we all lived through, Brilliant !!!
For the short time they were around no band has had such an impact on music and those who came later,probably one of the greatest songs ever written by one of the greatest bands to ever exist
no never - leave it as it is - PERFECT. You cant expect Weller to have the raw energy in his voice that he did then. It would be a let down. Theyve all done good stuff after The Jam. Time UKs album was great TSC have got better as Ive got older and Weller has well had his ups and downs.
You would never believe how much the lyrics of this song have pervaded and resonated in my life. They just keep cropping up. When I'm discomfited I often think of the line "the glazed dirty steps repeat my own". etc. It just does it for me.
Absolutely. Foxton often carried the melody on the bass line which was how they could do so much as a three piece with Weller on chord lead. Amazing talent.
This was the first song I heard from The Jam. I went out and bought the LP, and found out they'd already released a couple of LP's, so I was immersed in their music straight away. The Jam were a great British band, as important as The Kinks for their generation, and I miss them very much.
I'm here because I went to see From The Jam last night in Brisbane. As you can imagine, this song went off! Bruce has still got it and his bass remains impeccable.
A chilling and incredible bit of songwriting. As an ex Londoner this rang in my head for a long time. Weller was at his best with The Jam. He probably wouldn’t agree. Youth and fear and excitement and male violence and racism and the 70s - all there. It’s all still there unfortunately down in any tube station at midnight.
I know! And when you go the Setting Sons album and think of the lyrics of,for example Private Hell,its hard to believe he was only 21 when the album was released.Very intelligent, meaningful and mature songwriting ability.
You know how sometimes it takes actually SEEING the lyrics rather than just hearing them for you to get the TRUE impact of a song - I was rather shook!
43 years later it means a lot more to me than when I was 9. I listen to the lyrics & just imagine what he is singing. It has such a strong meaning which he shows with his fantastic raw voice. I always loved this song. More now than ever before. 💜
Classic. You had to be in that area at that time to appreciate this track.. Pure genius.Anyone who has followed The Jam will appreciate why I started collecting Japanese vinyl.
Urban poetry..brilliant track...bet all these people on totp watching this didnt realise what the lyrics were about...ps..if you listen to the Jams greatest hits there is not one single bad track..
Wellll . . . I never rated 'English Rose', I'm afraid. Sorry. Although - that might've only been on the vinyl version - I think the CD version left that one out. I do recall thinking the CD version called Compact Snap was the best version! 🎯 **ON TARGET**
Must have been great waiting for the next single to come out from The Jam back in the late 70's & early 80's cause every one was top notch! There ain't anything anywhere near as good to my ears these days. Simply superb......
Undoubtedly one of the greatest 3 piece bands in rock history, The Jam magnificently carried on the pop perfection of the Beatles with great songwriting and the amazing harmonies of Weller & Foxton!
can remember playing this almost constantly when I was 15, must have heard this song more than any other song i every hear by some distance, it's a classic tune, great lyrics, and it felt so real.
I have been through life ups and massive downs being a multi millioaire now totally skint but there is no one that can take your memories of great music and where you where when you heard such great music
@@HaleBopp I kinda wish they'd stayed the same! I'm really shocked and bothered to find out that Johnny Lydon's a MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporter now. Un-fucking-believable...🙀
*@Authentic Gay Blog* But hey, at least Weller's still cool enough to openly say in interviews that he feels complimented and honoured to be considered a Gay Icon (even if he's not gay himself). NICE ONE!! 😘🏳️🌈👍
My first serious band. Absolutely adored them. Saw them in Brighton around 1980 & felt like I'd met God. Looking back at these TOTP type performances, it must have been very hard to pretend to play seriously! I mean, look at the audience? They're hardly moving. So weird! A troubled youth helped out a great deal by this band. They're in my blood. Now I'll have to listen to English Rose before signing off for the night ♥
As an American, I truly believe the reason why great bands like The Jam, Squeeze and Elvis Costello and The Attractions never took off in the USA is because the lyrics were always too complex for their short attention spans: one of the reasons why I loved them, they were all wonderful story-tellers!
what a band and what a sound they had. Paul Weller singing in that hard as fuck accent, them tight mod haircuts and them no fucking about guitar riffs just sounds so cutting edge at the time. Hard music for hard times (late 70s, early 80s)
I heard the song yesterday. While I was 15-16 years old I listened to Undertones, Members, Stranglers, Clash and Skids. But yesterday I became a punk again at the age of 45. Great song and great group. The song is flooded with energy. Greetings from Serbia.
I agree with you. .. how this 19 year old lad from Woking had so much insight of life and the tribulations which come with it. ... no words for the script. .just amazing.
All Mod Cons written before his 21st birthday absolutely mind boggling up there with THE very best of all time if you have any issues with that I live in Derby come and find me
Seen them a few times the last time being in August supporting Status Quo, when i first heard Declaration I thought i have arrived, every song a gem plus 68 guns was released on my birthday 41 years ago 😜
Never in the history of popular music has a group such as the jam adjusted and changed the very fabric of life as we knew it and now even more know it.
Bruce Foxton is without doubt one of the great bass players. His work with The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers was immense.
Amen brother. Very underrated musician.
Definitely is so…..
With a name like yours, no doubt a touch of bias about SLF.
I have always been in metal bands. Throughout my musical "career". People have asked me about my playing style and what my influence (s) is/are.
Everyone in the metal world would normally be influenced by such great players as Cliff Burton, Steve Harris or suchlike. Without a thought, I always say Bruce Foxton is my first influence. In fact, the energy and musicality of his playing when put into a metal context makes for a great combination and one, luckily, that falls naturally to me as a player.
Under-rated as fuk..
Some of the most menacing lyrics ever written.the jam were true legends
So true. “ I glanced back at my life and thought about my wife, cause they took the keys and she,ll think it’s me”
Still turns my blood cold ❤
Sept 1979 and I'm 14. I skip off school and change into some "mod" clothes and go to Listen Ear record shop in Newcastle. The Jam turn up & I tap Paul on the back as they walk into the shop. He says alright mate and I am floating on air... off to the City Hall that night for an amazing experieince... wish I was 14 again and not 56...
Listen Ear was the place to hang out back in 79. Great days to be young.
😂😂😂
Love it!!!!!
" 'Cause they took the keys, and she'll think it's me."
It's such a simple line, yet it evokes so much horror. Brilliant lyrics 👏🏼
That line never had the intended effect on me because there's no way in hell the thugs know their home address, even if they got the keys
@VirreFriberg The thugs also have his wallet and drivers license. Thus, they have his home address. Use a little imagination
Agree. Horrendously poignant.
Foxton is history’s most underrated bass guitar player. Dude plays melodies with that thing.
Sammy South - so do many bass players - check out a young woman called Tal Wilkenfield - and what about the late, great Jacko Pastorius? None of which is mean't to denegrate Foxton by the way - oh, and who could forget Stanley Clarke - me obviously - lol!!
@@honeychurchgipsy6Nick Beggs
@@Eysenbeiss - Nick Beggs - will check him out
I liked the Jam as a kid when they were still together, but really didn't appreciate Foxton until I recently delved back into the Jam again. Foxton has made me appreciate bass for the first time in my life & now I make a point of actively listening to it. My God, the single bass intro note on "Ghosts" is unforgettable.
Not only his technical facility, but his tone, intonation, and sheer musicality were rivaled by very few players. Truly one of the greats.
It never ages. We were spoiled .
Yes we were. In nearly all genres the music 🎵 was on top of its game.
To me this is The Jam at their very best. Love this song. Still constantly play this week in week out
And to think that's entertainment, bitterest pill, a town called malice, and going underground were still to come
❗️❗️👍👍👍❗️❗️
@chrishowarth6623 Can neither confirm or deny this, but I read that John Lennon said this was the best song ever written.
A bomb in wardrobe street
The Jam are the reason I didn't get lost when I was just a kid looking for his own way in the world. They played the soundtrack of my maturity and formed my musical culture. The Jam are the reason I'm still here ..
may be then you could help me out with the lyrics to town called malice, i never have been able to get it, thanks
@@scottnever8732 Really??? You find them online everywhere
@@scottnever8732 Better stop dreaming of the quiet life
'Cause it's the one we'll never know
And quit running for that runaway bus
'Cause those rosy days are few
And stop apologizing for the things you've never done
'Cause time is short and life is cruel but it's up to us to change
This town called Malice
Rows and rows of disused milk floats
Stand dying in the dairy yard
And a hundred lonely housewives clutch empty milk
Bottles to their hearts
Hanging out their old love letters on the line to dry
It's enough to make you stop believing when tears come fast and furious
In a town called Malice, yeah
Struggle after struggle, year after year
The atmosphere's a fine blend of ice I'm almost stone cold dead
In a town called Malice, ooh yeah
A whole street's belief in Sunday's roast beef
Gets dashed against the Co-op
To either cut down on beer or the kids new gear
It's a big decision in a town called Malice, ooh yeah
The ghost of a steam train echoes down my track
It's at the moment bound for nowhere just going round and round
Playground kids and creaking swings
Lost laughter in the breeze
Could go on for hours and I probably will
But I'd sooner put some joy back in this town called Malice, yeah ooh
In this town called Malice, yeah
In this town called Malice, ooh yeah
litterally same
Yes! Music is a saviour. Too many saviours to mention. Only heard the Cramps about 5 years ago..how the fuck did I miss them in my youth?
Foxton absolutely shreds on that bass.
Paul Weller was a genius lyricist. How I miss all those angry young men from across the pond.
He’s still around, in fact he’s touring/ coming soon
Complete poetry, it's hard to believe Weller wrote it when he was only 20!
From experience of actually getting ass kkicked 😢
I love this song , so much
The bass on this is sublime...
Paul Weller is a totally brilliant lyricist - and this song is chilling if you really listen to the lyrics.
Amelia Coburn does an interesting cover ( songs from the shed ) 👍
Chilling and so terribly sad.
A well crafted honest description of the harsh realities of life living in late seventies UK. It wasn’t a pretty place and times were tough.
i dont think i would be chilling.
& lived through those times his lyrics were an accurate portrayal of life in urban uk & resonated with every teenager no matter where in the uk
Im 59 going on 60 Weller is the soundtrack to my life
Me too.
And me !
Same here . Strange town is my favourite.
Same here.
Bloody brilliant!..Weller at his most angst..God how we need him in these times..Come back mate your country needs you!!!
did you see him on The Times this w/e, he’s an old man like me. Different times, gone, not forgotten, but, different,,,,,
Quite possibly the best Jam song, ever. Yet you hardly ever hear it on the radio these days - if they play the Jam, always Town Called Malice.
I'm 56 in a few weeks... this is the second best single ever recorded...... The Clash ... White Man is the best.... weird both 1978.... depends on your age.
Yeah always town called malice
@@ianblack7006 both great tunes tho
@@barnijones2688 eton rifles
Lyrics awesome. Not too left wing biased like some of their songs. Awesome record!
“And Mr Jones got run down” just has to be one of the greatest lyrics in the history of songwriting..Paul Weller a songwriting genius
The complexity of the lyrics in this song goes unnoticed, a full story told, rather than today's music which is a chorus and two verses (if you're lucky) filling up 3 & a half to 5 minutes.
I never really noticed at the time, but listened properly on the radio recently, it's aged so well. Better than most of the poetry I learnt at school. My son now does a good ukulele version!
From hearing this as a 10yr old to hearing it at 52, still an absolute masterpiece.
Lucky enough to have listened in my teens ..introduced by way of a mate at college ..Eton Rifles..but sadly missed the Cramps..so much good sounds then I guess.xx
I was 14 when I heard it, bought it from
Boots 7inch picture sleeve 😂& l still have it in my vinyl collection. Great Days.
👍
I hit 9 years of age on November 13 1978. And The Jam were in the charts!
Same here. I was 12 when it was released. I now live halfway across the world in the Philippines and still love it.
I was 13. What a great a feeling it is!
I listened to this with my dad. He has very sadly passed now, but the jam live on. Absolute best British band ever.
Sorry for your dad r.. I. P.
I am still missing my own father. Bless you Ben and bless you Suzanne. xx
I'm sorry for your loss, may he res2in peace. A great man I'm sure
@@lennymadhavan3361 sorry for your loss, may he rest in peace
@@mattinfullvision9598 Thank you so much bruv. That is very thoughtful and kind of you. xx
YOU CANT KNOCK THE JAM THEY WERE PURE GOLD AND THEY STILL ARE PURE GOLD
The jam can't beaten and of
Could someone please tell me, is this another true story, along with the song Eton Rifles? Did it ever sadly happen, to any of the band, surviving a mugging?
They are the North London counterpart to South London's Squeeze. Today Deptford, tomorrow the World.
I think that's the mark of a good song, how does it sounds decade's later.
This still sounds Great 40 odd years later.
Foxton haircut is horrible
probably one of the very best bands to come out of great britain
agree 100%..... except for the word probably
correct
No way. There are at least 20 bands which have been way more impactful.
Not probably mate definitely
@@martincole34 I sound like a CARLSBERG ADVERT.......yes .....THE BEST
I first felt a fist and then a kick, I could now smell their breath. They smelt of pubs and worm wood scrubs................Weller is a poet for the ages.....
And too many right-wing meetings! Although - how many right-wing meetings _are_ too many? I'd say one is bad enough, mate, lol!
Dylan won a Nobel Prize for his lyrics, fair enough, but Weller deserves one too
The song that moved them on down the road. For a boy of 20 to write something like this is phenomenal. Musical and so insightful. He'd been exploring the English psyche and you'd see him down the Bag of Nails in Victoria, supping his pint, but that brain was ticking away. The three of them are so tight, one of the great three piece bands. Bruce with that style of his, so funky. When people slag you off for playing bass with a pick... show them this
Spot on Paul! Bassists with picks rule!
Especially Bruce
I recall Weller saying if he hadn't made it by the time he was 18, he was going to pack in...In The City album was released in '77, just before his 18th birthday, so when All Mod Cons was released in '78, it made him 18...
It’s funny. This song is so accurate to being in England in the 70’s. God the jam were good
Saw them early on at the Marquee in Wardour Street. 76? 77?
@@FernGullyandtheLastKlumous cant have been 76, they didnt form until 77
@@thomashardcastle6464 It was probably early 77. They were the backup band to a French rocker name Little Bob Story. I took some excellent color slides, the good ones were permanently borrowed by Lincoln Imlay. I think I went with a Brummie named David Horton. That is all I can remember. Apologies for the lack of exact dates, I will do better next time. They were very good too, jumping all over the place. The crowd stood like statues as was the custom.
The best band ever 1977- 1982 👍👐
@@FernGullyandtheLastKlumous Who's Lincoln Imlay, someone notable? Well, I'm sure all your mates were notable to yourself, of course.🎯
One of the greatest tracks - The Jam are absolute legends.
Bruce does a lot of work on this track. Underappreciated.
I love the way Bruce Foxton plays!!
An urban classic. Paul Weller tells the story.
Class
Probably the best Jam song ever. Still as good today as it was the day it was released.
One of the greatest tracks - The Jam are absolute legends.
Absolute beginners
+Louis Caffrey what?
+Joe Groves seriously?
Louis Caffrey Are you saying they're amatuers?
+Joe Groves I'm quoting a title of one of their songs called absolute beginners
Back to my youth, the days when we all brought records with our weekly pocket money. The Jam were the best of their time by a clear mile.
An absolute masterpiece. As relevant now as it was when released. Will still be relevant in 100 years.
Yes it will be.
Well said Jeremy
how sad
Blimey, Bruce was some bassist. Huge skill to play a piece like this.✅
I was in Stockwell station Dec 1987 near midnight and someone was killed two carriages down from where I was sitting. Being down in the tube station at midnight has a special meaning for me.
A chilling tale of inner city violence with a magnificent soundtrack.Pure poetry just a classy song from one of the great british bands.
I was there the night they filmed it ,we had two Alsations with us and met all 3 of them..who took an interest in the dogs.
I’m 65, still listening to this brilliant music.
Yes me too. I'm 42 grew listening to the Jam mums fav band. Always play this on the juke box
62. Right there with you.
64 mate, music from my youth , Bruce Foxton’s Bass is top drawer !
For something different have a listen to Amelia Coburn’s (songs from the shed )
acoustic cover 👍
I’m 50
Paul Weller your'e a legend. Your music was the soundtrack of my teens, your songs really captured the essence of Life in England in the late 70's, the politics the weather, society and the dreary boredom we all lived through, Brilliant !!!
What an absolute classic track this is , goes about 20ft over the heads of most of that Top of the Pops audience.
A terrific song that tells a frightening story......
Still one of the tightest rock bands to ever grace my ears.
For the short time they were around no band has had such an impact on music and those who came later,probably one of the greatest songs ever written by one of the greatest bands to ever exist
I think you will find The Beatles had a far bigger influence , just ask Paul Weller
40 years on & still one if not THE best bands to come out of England, i just wish they would get back together for one more tour
no never - leave it as it is - PERFECT. You cant expect Weller to have the raw energy in his voice that he did then. It would be a let down. Theyve all done good stuff after The Jam. Time UKs album was great TSC have got better as Ive got older and Weller has well had his ups and downs.
johnyboy66 johnyboy 66 they were true CLASS
Go watch Foxstot with "From The Jam." It's as close as you can get
@Warren Baldwin ok
Me and my boyfriend got going on argument did the split up too soon 🤔
We’ve exported some terrible things, and some wonderful things but I truly believe our music is second to none. Rule Britannia
This song sums up the era so brilliantly I still get goosebumps when I hear it.
you mean THIS era lol
You would never believe how much the lyrics of this song have pervaded and resonated in my life. They just keep cropping up. When I'm discomfited I often think of the line "the glazed dirty steps repeat my own". etc. It just does it for me.
I met a feller in the pub last week and he's the only other one besides me who I've met who can sing all the lyrics 😁 it was great.
Hello, how are you doing? It is nice seeing you here.
That’s just great ! 😊
I love the way Bruce Foxton plays!!
Diego Medina what miming?
Bruce does a lot of work on this track. Underappreciated.
My biggest influence ..and the reason I play a black P-bass with a maple neck.
Bruce Foxton...legend
great bass player, made me pick one up, I had a blue Rick..
Foxton drove the sound of the Jam to what it was with his bass playing.
Absolutely. Foxton often carried the melody on the bass line which was how they could do so much as a three piece with Weller on chord lead. Amazing talent.
This song is a true poem! Just beautiful. I can’t believe he can actually string the words together, so the vocal talent is through the roof too.
This was the first song I heard from The Jam. I went out and bought the LP, and found out they'd already released a couple of LP's, so I was immersed in their music straight away. The Jam were a great British band, as important as The Kinks for their generation, and I miss them very much.
Still listening and have been since 1978 best song ever written
I'm here because I went to see From The Jam last night in Brisbane. As you can imagine, this song went off! Bruce has still got it and his bass remains impeccable.
Fiona Ryan - the lead singer lives down the road from me - I went to school with his brother and know his wife - lol!!!
PAUL WELLER LEGEND IN THE 80S LEGEND NOW.
A chilling and incredible bit of songwriting. As an ex Londoner this rang in my head for a long time. Weller was at his best with The Jam. He probably wouldn’t agree. Youth and fear and excitement and male violence and racism and the 70s - all there. It’s all still there unfortunately down in any tube station at midnight.
Hello, how are you doing? It is nice seeing you here.
Who could have dreamt of writing a song like that, an epic story start to finish in 3.5 minutes flat.
Paul Weller...probably one of the best song writers of his generation.
But did he write them though?
@@BlackRain_ yes
@@nikaa4237 Prove it.
@@BlackRain_don’t need to prove it.
when I go to heaven I hope the Brits are in charge of the music
+mod69
Mate, that should be on a t-shirt somewhere!! :)
+mod69 Sincerely I hope we Brits are too :)
+mod69 Well said mate, Sadly, Music just ain`t made like this anymore.
Good shout mate
getting a tattoo of that phase! lol nice one 👍
Some of the greatest lyrics ever written .Weller was 20 years old !!!!!!!!
I know! And when you go the Setting Sons album and think of the lyrics of,for example Private Hell,its hard to believe he was only 21 when the album was released.Very intelligent, meaningful and mature songwriting ability.
Undoubtedly a genius.
what weller captures in less than 4 minutes is exceptional
You know how sometimes it takes actually SEEING the lyrics rather than just hearing them for you to get the TRUE impact of a song - I was rather shook!
Honestly their best song. It tells a story that is sadly still very relevant today. "They took the keys and she'll think it's me" is almost haunting.
But how do they know where he lives? Oh shit, they took his wallet as well!!! 😭
A real menace to the lyrics.
Only it's too many left wing meetings that originate the violence now.
As brilliant as Paul Weller is Bruce really makes The Jam come alive
Powerful 3 piece band. Fantastic songwriting. And with great style.
43 years later it means a lot more to me than when I was 9. I listen to the lyrics & just imagine what he is singing. It has such a strong meaning which he shows with his fantastic raw voice. I always loved this song. More now than ever before. 💜
Hello, how are you doing? It is nice seeing you here.
You have to cry a little bit because of the memories. My student days. Amazing times explosive energy. Pogo and hippies, Punks, and wild haircuts.
Possibly the greatest tune ever to be laid down on vinyl!
Bruce Foxton's bass on this is superb.
I had read years ago that he was heckled a lot. He wasn't 'Mod' enough.
One of the best in the world in my opinion
I know. Jumping up and down with harmonics too.
True - as always.
Went to see from the jam in Middlesbrough Bruce foxtons band
They were great
Classic. You had to be in that area at that time to appreciate this track.. Pure genius.Anyone who has followed The Jam will appreciate why I started collecting Japanese vinyl.
The right 3 people forming the right band at the right time, brilliant.
Just about the greatest pop song ever with the best lyrics ever …loved The Jam
Urban poetry..brilliant track...bet all these people on totp watching this didnt realise what the lyrics were about...ps..if you listen to the Jams greatest hits there is not one single bad track..
Wellll . . . I never rated 'English Rose', I'm afraid. Sorry. Although - that might've only been on the vinyl version - I think the CD version left that one out. I do recall thinking the CD version called Compact Snap was the best version! 🎯 **ON TARGET**
One of the greatest tracks - The Jam are absolute legends.
I love the way Bruce Foxton plays!!
gris772 truly Superb gris
Those quickfire chord sequences are brilliant.
What about Rick butler
If your watching this in 2023 then I salute you ….different gravy
24+
@@rachelbanks987124
Hhang onn
😅yea..thats rght.KTF.😊
Must have been great waiting for the next single to come out from The Jam back in the late 70's & early 80's cause every one was top notch! There ain't anything anywhere near as good to my ears these days. Simply superb......
Brilliant, and not a bloke you’d want to mess with back then. Could well look after himself , genius of a songwriter
Undoubtedly one of the greatest 3 piece bands in rock history, The Jam magnificently carried on the pop perfection of the Beatles with great songwriting and the amazing harmonies of Weller & Foxton!
can remember playing this almost constantly when I was 15, must have heard this song more than any other song i every hear by some distance, it's a classic tune, great lyrics, and it felt so real.
I am getting my vinyl sleeve of Down in the tube station at midnight signed by original drummer Rick Buckler!
C.P.
2022.
A scary story told in this. A proper classic song!
I have been through life ups and massive downs being a multi millioaire now totally skint but there is no one that can take your memories of great music and where you where when you heard such great music
Many contenders for the best of The Jam, but I always come back to this
this man wrote amazing lyrics.
he still does
Jakeb Arturio Braden He still puts on a good show too!
He did, all seem to be about real working class scenarios too
@@HaleBopp I kinda wish they'd stayed the same! I'm really shocked and bothered to find out that Johnny Lydon's a MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporter now. Un-fucking-believable...🙀
*@Authentic Gay Blog* But hey, at least Weller's still cool enough to openly say in interviews that he feels complimented and honoured to be considered a Gay Icon (even if he's not gay himself). NICE ONE!! 😘🏳️🌈👍
Just a decade ahead of their time! ❤
♥️I love The Jam,they were one of my favourite groups of the late 70s and the 80s. Wish we had bands like that now.❤️
WE HAD THE BEST, NOBODY BANDS WILL EVER COME CLOSE AGAIN.
Classic song by the awesome Jam. Love it!
My first serious band. Absolutely adored them. Saw them in Brighton around 1980 & felt like I'd met God. Looking back at these TOTP type performances, it must have been very hard to pretend to play seriously! I mean, look at the audience? They're hardly moving. So weird! A troubled youth helped out a great deal by this band. They're in my blood. Now I'll have to listen to English Rose before signing off for the night ♥
As an American, I truly believe the reason why great bands like The Jam, Squeeze and Elvis Costello and The Attractions never took off in the USA is because the lyrics were always too complex for their short attention spans: one of the reasons why I loved them, they were all wonderful story-tellers!
Agreed. Also, there was the factor of the lyrics being to "local", as in "What's a wormwood scrub?"
As am American, i remember radio was owned by payola and music companies shoving disco down tours truely... Thank God for the isles across the pond!
Wormwood Scrubs is a prison in London.
That's a great call! Thank god for the Atlantic. (tongue in cheek)
I was in L.A. and we had college radio and KROQ and got to listen to all this music and went to all concerts of the era. Best years of my life.
what a band and what a sound they had. Paul Weller singing in that hard as fuck accent, them tight mod haircuts and them no fucking about guitar riffs just sounds so cutting edge at the time. Hard music for hard times (late 70s, early 80s)
I used to listen to the Jam in the very early 80s and I still today. I'm from France.
I've been a sunderland fan for 58 years but the lads are right Sir Bobby Robson was an absolute gentleman a lovely man
I heard the song yesterday. While I was 15-16 years old I listened to Undertones, Members, Stranglers, Clash and Skids. But yesterday I became a punk again at the age of 45. Great song and great group. The song is flooded with energy.
Greetings from Serbia.
must see The Jam with this song in german tv from 30.11.1980 in WDR ROCKPALAST ❗️
quality ,total quality.....19 yrs old when he wrote this ,,,,,,amazing
I agree with you. .. how this 19 year old lad from Woking had so much insight of life and the tribulations which come with it. ... no words for the script. .just amazing.
All Mod Cons written before his 21st birthday absolutely mind boggling up there with THE very best of all time if you have any issues with that I live in Derby come and find me
I'm outside...
What's your address I'm on the way 👊Only joking mate couldn't agree more 🤝
he was a kid when we wrote this - pure genius
No argument here!
wheyy east midlands rep
Seen them a few times the last time being in August supporting Status Quo, when i first heard Declaration I thought i have arrived, every song a gem plus 68 guns was released on my birthday 41 years ago 😜
Paul effin' Weller, the Dylan of our generation. It's always the right time for some Jam.
one of the greatest songs
Nobody writes lyrics like this anymore brilliantly 👍
But... did _they_ actually write them?
@@BlackRain_ Yes. Paul Weller did.
Bring back the best British bands ever The Jam & Madness
Tomcat Tomcat And Siouxsie.
+Tomcat Tomcat and the corries
+Tomcat Tomcat and the wurzels
and Queen
Dire straits
I love this song, it draws you in and engulfs you in the story and makes it feel that it's you getting mugged. Very visceral.
Never in the history of popular music has a group such as the jam adjusted and changed the very fabric of life as we knew it and now even more know it.
Greatest song ever written.