The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
The Dream Academy
“Life In a Northern Town” is the debut single and signature song of The Dream Academy, and was a top 20 hit in five countries including the US & the UK in early 1986.
This somber, melancholic and enigmatically beautiful song evokes a cold day in a small town, lemonade consumption notwithstandin...
[Verse 1]
A Salvation Army band played
And the children drunk lemonade
And the morning lasted all day
All day
[Verse 2]
And through an open window came
Like Sinatra in a younger day
Pushing the town away
Ah
[Chorus]
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Dee-doo-din-nie-ya-ya
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma
Hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma-ma
[Verse 3]
They sat on the stoney ground
And he took a cigarette out
And everyone else came down
To listen
[Verse 4]
He said, "In winter 1963
It felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy
And The Beatles"
Yeah, yeah, yeah
[Chorus]
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Hey ma ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
All the work shut down
[Verse 3]
The evening turned to rain
Watched the water roll down the drain
As we followed him down
To the station
And though he never would wave goodbye
You could see it written in his eyes
As the train rolled out of sight
Bye-bye
[Chorus]
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah hey ma ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Life in a northern town
Ah hey ma ma ma ma
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
Ah hey ma ma ma ma
Make it easy on yourself
Society's so
So hard to desert
So hard that you know
Make it easy on yourself
Life in a northern town
We'll get back up
Ah hey ma ma mommy doo-din-nie-ya
Ah hey ma ma ma hey-y-yah
(repeat to fade)
Life in a Northern Town was written by Nick Laird-Clowes & Gilbert Gabriel.
Life in a Northern Town was produced by George Nicholson & Nick Laird-Clowes & David Gilmour.