Up The Junction
Encyclopedia
"Up the Junction" was the third single
released from Squeeze's second album, Cool for Cats
. It is one of the band's most popular and well-remembered songs (especially in the UK), and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
.
Up the Junction
is a novel by Nell Dunn
, first published in 1963. Lyricist Chris Difford
said that the title phrase was lifted from the 1965 TV play version of the novel, directed by Ken Loach
, and its subsequent 1968 movie remake. (see Up the Junction). The film had a soundtrack by Manfred Mann
, and a song by them, titled 'Up the Junction' Although the song is not derived, it includes several references to the drama:
The song is well known for its use of half-rhymes
, such as "ready" and "telly" or "kitchen" and "missing".
The band made a tongue-in-cheek performance of the "Up the Junction" on British chart show Top of the Pops
in which band members play the 'wrong instrument', with singer Glenn Tilbrook
drumming and Jools Holland
(normally pianist) making minimal attempts to look at all proficient at the guitar.
The song appears in the 1982 film Brimstone and Treacle
.
Difford's performance of the song live on Platform 10 at Clapham Junction featured on the BBC Radio 4
programme Lyrical Journey in September 2011.
by a number of artists:
The song was also reworked by co-writer Difford on his 2006 acoustic album South East Side Story.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released from Squeeze's second album, Cool for Cats
Cool for Cats (album)
Cool for Cats is the British new wave group Squeeze's second album, released in 1979. Cool for Cats contained more charting hit singles than any other album the band has released....
. It is one of the band's most popular and well-remembered songs (especially in the UK), and reached #2 on 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 ...
.
Up the Junction
Up the Junction
Up the Junction is a 1963 novel by Nell Dunn that depicts contemporary life in the industrial slums of Battersea near Clapham Junction.The book uses colloquial speech, and its portrayal of petty thieving, sexual encounters, births, deaths and back-street abortion provided a view of life that was...
is a novel by Nell Dunn
Nell Dunn
-Early years:Dunn was born in London and educated at a convent, which she left at the age of fourteen. Although she came from an upper class background, in 1959 she moved to Battersea and made friends in the neighbourhood and worked for a time in a sweets factory...
, first published in 1963. Lyricist Chris Difford
Chris Difford
Chris Difford is a singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer....
said that the title phrase was lifted from the 1965 TV play version of the novel, directed by Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
, and its subsequent 1968 movie remake. (see Up the Junction). The film had a soundtrack by Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
, and a song by them, titled 'Up the Junction' Although the song is not derived, it includes several references to the drama:
- Portrayal of daily life in ClaphamClaphamClapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
/ BatterseaBatterseaBattersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
area (the song begins "I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham") - "Junction" refers to Clapham Junction
- Colloquial working-class language
- The subject of unplanned pregnancy and abortion (the TV play is one of the first UK portrayals of abortion; the song a decision to keep the baby, with the oblique couplet: "She said she'd seen a doctor, and nothing now could stop her")
The song is well known for its use of half-rhymes
Half rhyme
Half rhyme or slant rhyme, sometimes called sprung, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, off rhyme or imperfect rhyme, is consonance on the final consonants of the words involved . Many half/slant rhymes are also eye rhymes.Half/slant rhyme is widely used in Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Icelandic verse...
, such as "ready" and "telly" or "kitchen" and "missing".
The band made a tongue-in-cheek performance of the "Up the Junction" on British chart show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in which band members play the 'wrong instrument', with singer Glenn Tilbrook
Glenn Tilbrook
Glenn Martin Tilbrook is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid 1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the melody for Squeeze, while his writing partner, Chris Difford, wrote the lyrics...
drumming and Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
(normally pianist) making minimal attempts to look at all proficient at the guitar.
The song appears in the 1982 film Brimstone and Treacle
Brimstone and Treacle
-Potter on Brimstone and Treacle:In 1978, Potter said:I had written Brimstone and Treacle in difficult personal circumstances. Years of acute psoriatic arthropathy—unpleasantly affecting skin and joints—had not only taken their toll in physical damage but had also, and perhaps inevitably, mediated...
.
Difford's performance of the song live on Platform 10 at Clapham Junction featured on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Lyrical Journey in September 2011.
Trivia
The protagonist's daughter would have been born at 5:20AM, according to the lyrics of the song. The date of her birth, and her name, are as of yet unknown.Cover versions
"Up the Junction" has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by a number of artists:
- Lawnmower DethLawnmower DethLawnmower Deth are an English thrash metal band who parodied the genre and recorded three-and-a-half albums. Initially active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they reformed in 2008.-Main career :...
on their third album, Billy - The DecemberistsThe DecemberistsThe Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
during numerous live performances - Jim BobJim BobJim Bob is the stage name for James Morrison, the London born writer and musician best known as the singer of indie punk band Carter USM.-Biography:Jim Bob was born James Neil Morrison in the city of London, on 22 November 1960...
on his Busker EP - Lily AllenLily AllenLily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
for a Yahoo!Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
Music performance - The ViewThe View (band)The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
on their single "Superstar Tradesman" - GoldfingerGoldfinger (band)Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...
for their Teen Beef split 7" with Reel Big FishReel Big FishReel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
for Mojo RecordsMojo RecordsMojo Records was a California-based record label founded in 1995 by producer Jay Rifkin. It became a joint venture with Universal Music Group in 1996 and then sold to the Zomba Group in 2001, who placed it under their subsidiary Jive Records... - TravisTravis (band)Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
on a number of occasions. - The Bad ShepherdsThe Bad ShepherdsThe Bad Shepherds are a British folk band formed by the comedian Adrian Edmondson in 2008. They play punk songs with traditional folk instruments...
with Adrian EdmondsonAdrian EdmondsonAdrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
do a folk influenced cover of the song on their album Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Metheral - Every Dirty Street have been known to perform it live.
- Jonathan CoultonJonathan CoultonJonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
during his 2009 UK tour. - The Hotrats on their covers album Turn Ons
- They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
on the Jonathan Ross BBC Radio 2 show on 26 June 2010.
The song was also reworked by co-writer Difford on his 2006 acoustic album South East Side Story.