modest british place names in song

[Sue]

Mile End by Pulp. (The Isle of Dogs also gets a mention...)

 

[Steel Icarus]

Morrissey before being an "out" racist was fond of these. Newport Pagnell (Is it really so strange?) Sloane Square (Hairdresser on fire) are a couple of more obscure ones from more obscure songs

 

[skyscraper101]

The Streets - Has It Come To This

“My underground train runs from Mile End to Ealing. From Brixton to Bounds Green”

 

[Steel Icarus]

Tunnel of love by Dire Straits mentions Cullercoats and Whitley Bay

 

[scifisam]

Pulp & Richard Hawley are reliable for Sheffield locations. Wickerman and Naked in Pitsmoor are definitely ‘modest’

Sadly, the fountain was pulled down in 1998, so no one could meet there in the year 2000

They also have a song about Mile End, a place that has also changed a lot since then, though I never thought it was as bad as they made out.

 

[not-bono-ever]

from langley park to memphis - P. Sprout

 

[planetgeli]

Sennen by Ride, not mentioned in the (brief) lyrics but it is the song title and is most certainly the place “to call my own, a place to be alone” referred to.

 

[BCBlues]

.. "I'm In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Check-out Desk"

...and breathe. The Freshies.

 

[Sweet FA]

Tinie Tempah on Pass Out: "I been Southampton but I've never been to Scunthorpe".

 

[MrSki]

"Saturday gig" by Mott the Hoople mentions Croydon.

The Captain did a whole song about the place.

 

[mx wcfc]

" Towers of Basingstoke" and "Wrecked in Slough" by Robb Johnson spring to mind.
Port Talbot also features prominently in the well known Eastfield song, "Port Talbot Transport Police".

 

[Duncan2]

"Sunshine on Leith"-the Proclaimers-that's a fairly modest place though I understand it is changing.

 

[Mogden]

Hastings, Eastbourne and Brighton in Anti Nowhere League's So What.

 

[discokermit]

cannock chase - labi siffre.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Sproston Green by Charlatans

 

[planetgeli]

Sproston Green by Charlatans

Liked because a favourite song of my gf.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Liked because a favourite song of my gf.

Fave Charlatans song of the Charlatans singer, too

 

[JimW]

Blyth Power have a few, Guns of Castle Cary for example.

 

[agricola]

the Verve's Bittersweet Symphony repeatedly mentions Mold

 

[JimW]

And now find Blyth Power who I've not listened to in years are on my Chinese streaming service! Do like his voice.

 

[Bus Honeygun]

Blur also used the shipping forecast in "This is a low", namechecking Dogger Bank, Tyne, Forth, Cromarty etc

Wire too. 'Moray, Forth and Orkney' on Chairs Missing. Can't remember title.

 

[belboid]

Wire too. 'Moray, Forth and Orkney' on Chairs Missing. Can't remember title.

Mercy. Good call

 

[Bus Honeygun]

Goon Gumpus - Aphex Twin
18.10 to Yeovil Junction - Bubblegum Splash
From Baghdad to Bearsden via the Erskine Bridge - Dawson
Exeter - Idles (bit of a sore point with me but I'll save that for another time)
Hoover Factory ('five miles out of London on the Western Avenue...') - Elvis Costello
Strood Lights - The Buff Medways
I recall The Holiday Girl by Arab Strap mentions Torquay
Bournemouth Runner - The Fall
Christmas Steps - Mogwai (street in Bristol for those who don't know)
Born Again in Birmingham - The Nightingales
Fat Lad Exam Failure ('He came down from Accrington! Accrington!') - Bog-shed
Thought I'd Died and Gone to Radstock - The Haywains
I Love You Mr Disposable Razors ('Relocate to Warrington New Town!') - A Witness
Bury - The Fall
Three English Football Grounds - I, Ludicrous (Burnden Park, The Den and Craven Cottage)
The Pogues were always good for place names, Irish and British, but especially London. Kudos for getting Crewe in on Boat Train.

I did a whole C90 years ago with UK place name references. Fucked if I can remember half of them now...

 

[gentlegreen]

*scarpers*

(I hadn't realised she later sang on "Video killed the radio star" )

 

[Bus Honeygun]

Eastfield

Now there's a place. Modest bordering on dangerous.

 

[JimW]

Not that modest but maybe notable because it's in Chinese by megastar Jay Chou (周杰伦), mentions waiting for someone at Greenwich (我占据格林威治守候着你) in his song 爱你没差

 

[felixthecat]

Obvs the Wurzels have a few too

'Down in Nempnett Thrubwell' being the best of them

 

[gentlegreen]

Only actually mentioned at the end ...

 

[Bus Honeygun]

'Down in Nempnett Thrubwell' being the best of them

Severn Beach Lover my fave.

I'm keeping on...

London 0, Hull 4 - Housemartins
Tatty Seaside Town - Membranes (doesn't mention directly but clearly about Blackpool)
Handsworth Revolution - Steel Pulse
The Dundee Weaver - The Dubliners
Lot of the Sarah Records stuff was good for Bristol references, including Maritime City by Tramway. Balla by them also addresses the City v Rovers divide.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Moss Side Story by Barry Adamson
The Bridewell Taxis (lol)