southend/essex namechecks in songs

[Reg Martin]

Hope this isn't a repeat of a thread before I joined SZ but the 'Where's me jumper' thread for some reason started me thinking about Carter USM's 'Sheriff Fatman' with its reference to 'The Master Butcher of Leigh-om-Sea' which made me wonder how many southend/essex related references people can think of in songs. Here's three I can think of:

1) Carter USM/Sheriff Fatman

2) Ian Dury/Billericay Dickie

3) Billy Bragg/A13 Trunk Road to the sea

Any more?

 

[GrimmRobes]

The Kinks' "Picture Book" mentions "a bed & breakfast in sunny Southend"

And Black Box Recorder mention Southend-on-sea among a host of other English towns in "Goodnight Kiss"

 

[A Century United]

Willard Grant Conspiracy - Southend of a Northbound Train

:p

 

[A Century United]

And a real one:

The Siddleys, My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon

The lyrics:

The sight of the façade of the Palace Hotel, Southend
With every sense I think of you - it sends me round the bend
"Love that moves the sun in heaven, and all the stars…"
This is just a fraction of what is rightfully ours

Please whirl me around
There's no earthly reason
No earthly reason
There is no earthly reason
For darkness after dawn…

It's not that I want to be rich, I just want to be heroically poor
Money may buy happiness, but you can give me more
I want back my favourite wet Wednesday afternoon
I'll take my dreams to the grave with me
If you don't say something soon…

Please whirl me around
There's no earthly reason
No earthly reason
There is no earthly reason
For a boy to burn

The Peak Frean's factory pumping smoke reminds me of the past
Of waking up quite terrified, of always coming last
Are you, like me, looking up at the sky?
Or do you look down as you read?
"The red apples are the sweetest," he said, but green is the colour for me…

Please whirl me around
There's no earthly reason
No earthly reason
There is no earthly reason
For rotting fruit to fall…

The smell of chips on a summer evening in Southend -
With every sense I think of you, it sends me round the bend
"Love that moves the sun in heaven, and all the stars…"
This is just a fraction of what is rightfully ours

Please whirl me around
There's no earthly reason
No earthly reason
There is no earthly reason
For a boy to burn…

http://www.siddeleys.com/songs/MyFavouriteWet16.mp3

 

[Pubey]

i always though that kayne west song said "essex arena" but it turns out it was "*** like serena!"

 

[A Century United]

Elton John - Bitter Fingers

Oh could you knock a line or two together for a friend
Sentimental tear inducing with a happy end
And we need a tune to open our season at Southend
Can you help us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpa8tO6iPl4

 

[MK Shrimper]

Shurley we can count the Kursaal Flyers....

 

[Napster]

Snowboy's Greetings from Southend-on-Sea

Iron Bridge's Essex Boys (lyrics to come once I get home)

 

[class]

Jools Holland - Oranges and Lemons again

Mentions Southend on Sea and also refers to something as "In and Out the Eagle, and up and down the city road"

Spread Eagle perhaps? :)

 

[Uncle Leo]

"Tracy Jacks" by Blur:

"(Tracy Jacks) left home without warning
(Tracy Jacks) at five in the morning
(Tracy Jacks) got on the first train to Walton
(Tracy Jacks) and stood on the seafront"

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Obvious choice but i had to Add Blue by Alison Moyet.

I love this song and still think it should be blasted out at Roots Hall before kick off.

Another northern sky
another motorway parade
another day like this
whatever will be will be
and we will be in Shrewsbury (do I have to go)

Do I have to go
Could I ever stay away
And you never know
Tonight our luck could change
And we'll be flying all the way (going all the way)
A late point and I'll be laughing
And Saturday won't seem so bleak
With you, Blue

Ever a stepping stone
Someone's Mickey Mouse affair
We're so unfashionable
But I'm not with you for your stylish hair
Or the seaside air (if we ever get there)
Tell me we've acquired a striker (Stanley)
And a lucrative sponsorship came through (on a free)
Will you, Blue
Can we not buy someone famous
And pull a crowd we can't contain at all
All true, Blue

Maybe we'll never tread the grass that grows around your feet
And you let us in for weighting tables like we live to feed
And not to eat (but we get a seat)
Three points and the living's easy
And every day's a Saturday
With you, true blue
Saturday

 

[C C Csiders]

Jools Holland - Oranges and Lemons again

Mentions Southend on Sea and also refers to something as "In and Out the Eagle, and up and down the city road"

Spread Eagle perhaps? :)

That is a reference from Pop Goes the Weasel.

 

[Cricko2]

Tom Robinson ...1967 So long ago. " Day trip to Southend Central"

Squeeze...It's not Cricket. "The Deptford had a beano to Southend for the night"

 

[C C Csiders]

The 'B' side to The Piranhas Tom Hark was titled Gettin' Beaten Up and had various Southend references. I believe at least one of the band was from Southend.

The line I can remember is:

"So we all went down to The Esplanade
Where the lager tastes like lemonade"

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Cleo Laine - Southend
Funny enough she mentions Southend about 50 times. You can get the record on ebay sometimes:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CLEO-LAINE-So...1977320QQihZ005QQcategoryZ20809QQcmdZViewItem

 

[C C Csiders]

This verse from the charmingly entitle Masticated by the Spasticated by the band Gorerotted, must surely be referencing Colchester:

"By the time they're done there'll be no one left around
Just a special bus full of mutants geeks and downs
We'll be beaten tender so we taste real nice
When we're sliced and diced and served with rice
By the hobblin, wobbling, stammering spacks
And the inbred freaks with misshapen backs
Demented 'tards with missing teeth
Cutting me up and chewing on my meat"

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Dodgy & long forgotten mid90s indie band Understand had a single called Southend

 

[Mad Cyril]

Dodgy & long forgotten mid90s indie band Understand had a single called Southend

I was mates with guitarist Rob Coleman at school but he went all showbiz.

 

[loz]

My Life Story had an album called 'The Golden Mile'

Blur 'Essex Dogs'

Also, there was a band from Wickford called Beatglider in the late 90's, their first album had a woozy ballad called 'Talk of The South', in rememberance of nights at a certain glorious Lucy Road establishment.

 

[C C Csiders]

Then there is the Frank Sinatra classic Love and Harwich. And who can ever forget, with the nauseous video to accompany it, the classic line from the Lionel Richie song "Harlow, is it me you're looking for?"