"Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" is a single by

The Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 198 ...

, and was the second single from their third album, '' All Mod Cons''. Released in October 1978, it reached No. 15 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The single was backed by a cover version of

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's song "

So Sad About Us "So Sad About Us" is a 1966 song by British rock band the Who, first released on the band's second album ''A Quick One''. Originally written for the Merseys, "So Sad About Us" has likely been covered more frequently than any other song on the alb ...

", and the song "The Night", written by

Bruce Foxton Bruce Douglas Foxton (born 1 September 1955) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Foxton's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as bassist and backing vocalist of mod revival band the Jam. ...

Production

Originally Paul Weller had wanted to exclude the song from the ''All Mod Cons'' album, on the grounds that the arrangement had not sufficiently developed during the recording sessions. He was persuaded to include it by the record's producer

Vic Coppersmith-Heaven Vic Coppersmith-Heaven (born Victor Smith, August 1945, England) is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his production work with the Jam. Career Smith worked in the recording studios at Polydor after leaving school in 1 ...

Lyrical theme and musical composition

The song tells the story of an unnamed narrator travelling on his own who enters a

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

tube station at midnight to get the last train home, where he is attacked by a gang of men who 'smell like pubs, and

Wormwood Scrubs Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs (or simply Scrubs), is an open space in Old Oak Common located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the borough, ...

, and too many right-wing meetings' as he buys a ticket from an automated machine. The song starts with the atmospheric sounds of a London Underground station, then a tense, syncopated beat carried by the bass guitar. The lyrics are sentimental, contrasting the warmth of home and domestic life with the dangers of 1970s London's

urban decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...

and casual late-night violence. Tension is heightened by a heartbeat audio effect in the left stereo channel at points during the song. The sound of an Underground train at the beginning and end of the song was recorded at St John's Wood Station.

Cover art

The front cover photograph was taken at

Bond Street tube station Bond Street is a London Underground and Elizabeth line station in Mayfair, in the West End of London. Entrances are on Oxford Street, near its junction with New Bond Street, and on Hanover Square. The station is on the Central line, between ...

, on the westbound Central line. On the back cover was a portrait photograph of

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

who had died a month prior to the single's release. The Who's "So Sad About Us" was included as a tribute to Moon.

Cover versions

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (also known as Carter USM or simply Carter) were an English indie rock band formed in 1987 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style o ...

released a version of it as the B-side of their single release "Do Re Me So Far So Good" (1992). *

The Bad Shepherds The Bad Shepherds were an English folk music, folk band, formed by the comedian Ade Edmondson, Adrian Edmondson in 2008. They played folk punk songs with traditional folk instruments. The band primarily consisted of Edmondson (vocals, mandolin ...

covered the song in their album ''Yan, Tyan, Tethra, Methra!'' (2009).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Down In The Tube Station At Midnight 1978 singles The Jam songs Songs about London Songs written by Paul Weller 1978 songs Song recordings produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven Polydor Records singles