"Hobart Paving" is a single by British pop group Saint Etienne

Saint Etienne (band)

Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...

. It was released by Heavenly Records in May 1993 as a double A-side with the band's cover of "Who Do You Think You Are", originally released in 1974 by Jigsaw

Jigsaw (band)

Jigsaw were an English pop music group, fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer. In Australia the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.-Overview:...

. It reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

.

The song describes an unhappy woman, using characteristically surreal

Surrealism

Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....

 images such as "Rain falls like Elvis

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

 tears" and "Just like a harpsichordist

Harpsichordist

A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord.Many baroque composers played the harpsichord, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, George Frideric Handel, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau...

 she moves". The apparently meaningless title appears in the song's chorus: "Hobart paving, don't you think that's it's time, / On this platform with the drizzle in my eyes?" The title may derive from a construction firm called Hobart Paving Company Limited http://www.hobartpaving.co.uk in the town of Croydon

Croydon

Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...

, where two of the band members grew up.http://www.saint.etienne.net/saint/etienne?http://www.saint.etienne.net/ec/discography.html

The track was slightly remixed for single release, adding subtle overdubs and extra instrumentation. "Your Head My Voice (Voix Revirement)" is a remix of "Hobart Paving".

An alternative mix of "Hobart Paving", created for the single but ultimately not used, was eventually released on the Nice Price

Nice Price

Nice Price is a fan club only release by Saint Etienne. It covers the band's entire recording history and contains demo, alternative and remixed versions of previously released tracks.-Track listing:# Nothing Can Stop Us - 4:04...

outtakes collection in 2006.

7": Heavenly / HVN 29 (UK)

1. "Hobart Paving" - 4:54
2. "Who Do You Think You Are" - 3:53

• also available on MC (HVN 29C)

12": Heavenly / HVN 29-12 (UK)

1. "Hobart Paving" - 4:54
2. "Your Head My Voice" (Voix Revirement) - 4:12
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" - 3:53
4. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08

12": Heavenly / HVN 29-12P (UK)

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08
2. "Your Head My Voice" (Voix Revirement) - 4:12

• UK promo. Labelled "Aphex Twin Remixes"

CD: Heavenly / HVN 29CD (UK)

1. "Hobart Paving" - 4:54
2. "Who Do You Think You Are" - 3:53
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08
4. "Your Head My Voice" (Voix Revirement) - 4:12

12": Warner / 0-40910 (US)

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Strobelights & Platform Shoes Mix) - 7:00
2. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Saturday Night Fever Dub) - 6:59
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Tilt Dub) - 6:00
4. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08
5. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Nu Solution Mix) - 7:46
6. "Hobart Paving" (UK single version) - 4:54

2x12": Warner / PRO-A-6254 (US)

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Strobelights & Platform Shoes Mix) - 7:00
2. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Saturday Night Fever Dub) - 6:59
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Nu Solution Mix) - 7:46
4. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Tilt Dub) - 6:00

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08
2. "Your Head My Voice" (Voix Revirement) - 4:12
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Radio Remix) - 4:39
4. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Bonus Beats Down) - 4:55

• US 2x12" promo

CD: Warner / 9 40910-2 (US)

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Album Version) - 3:52
2. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Strobelights & Platform Shoes Mix) - 7:00
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08
4. "Hobart Paving" (UK single version) - 4:54
5. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Nu Solution Mix) - 7:46
6. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Saturday Night Fever Dub) - 6:59
7. "Your Head My Voice" (Voix Revirement) - 4:12
8. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Radio Remix) - 4:39

Aphex Twin

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Quex-Rd) - 8:08
2. "Your Head My Voice" (Voix Revirement) - 4:12

Roger Sanchez

1. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Strobelights & Platform Shoes Mix) - 7:00
2. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Nu Solution Mix) - 7:46
3. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Saturday Night Fever Dub) - 6:59
4. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Radio Remix) - 4:39
5. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Tilt Dub) - 6:00
6. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Bonus Beats Down) - 4:55

Cover versions

The 1997 German Movie "Bandits" featured a cover version of the song called "Catch Me" (possibly to better match the movie's prison break story), released under the band name "Bandits". The "Hobart Paving" in the chorus was replaced by "Hold on, princess".

External links

• Hobart Paving Company Limited, the probable source of the title