Trivia: Songs that remind you of a particular location on the railway

[PTR 444]

We already have 3 music related threads on the go, but here’s another one for fun. Are there any songs that remind you of a specific place, or bring back a good memory on the railway? These don’t necessarily have to be songs about railways or trains.

For example, the 1997 song Ready To Go by Republica always reminds me of the stretch of SWML in the West Byfleet - Esher area. I guess this must have something to do with Sandown Park being next door, since they always played that song during intervals whenever we went to watch the horse racing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's - Kirkdale Tunnels southbound. Because in my first term at uni Radio City (Liverpool) always used to play it at about the same time every morning, and the tunnels always meant I missed the end!

 

[Magdalia]

Up The Junction, obviously!

 

[TwoYellas]

Everytime I pass Wolves Railway Station, it remind me of 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. Because I used to go for a drink with a mate in the centre close to the station and upon leaving the pub used to remind me of this song particularly the lyrics:

Strangers waitin'
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night

Good job you can't hear me sing on here!

 

[Harvester]

Waterloo Sunset - The end of Southern steam.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

This song (Helping Hands by Butcher Boy) reminds me of riding 314s round the Cathcart Circle, as it names various parts of Glasgow including Pollokshaws:

 

[yorkie]

Given it was filmed at Prague main station, Lasgo - Something will always remind me of it.

It would be many years after I first saw the video that I actually visited the place. Of course you can still see many loco hauled trains there today, so the scene hasn't changed as much as perhaps some other places will have done in 21 years.

 

[Mag_seven]

it names various parts of Glasgow including Pollockshaw

There is no such place as "Pollockshaw" (there is Pollokshaws of course )

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There is no such place as "Pollockshaw" (there is Pollokshaws of course )

Funnily enough, I'd initially typed "Pollokshaws" then in a moment of self-doubt questioned myself and changed it to the incorrect "Pollockshaw"!

 

[D6968]

‘Driftwood’ by Travis reminds me of 37422 and a Spring Saturday morning at Stafford (like what I did with the Alliteration there?)

 

[yorksrob]

"Wake up Boo" by the Boo Radleys always reminds me of pre-rebuild London Bridge, as I was there waiting for an EPB railtour one morning and a station employee was walking up the opposite platform whistling it.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

This is a bit of a backwards one: whenever I listen to The Fall these days I'm reminded of being on a 37-hauled Northern service pulling into Barrow, as that's where I was when I heard the news that Mark E. Smith had passed away.

 

[Gloster]

Not a song, but Sibelius’ Karelia Suite tends to remind me of travelling in Sweden, particularly on the old GDG between Mellerud and Kil.

 

[Magdalia]

Not a song, but Sibelius’ Karelia Suite tends to remind me of travelling in Sweden, particularly on the old GDG between Mellerud and Kil.

For me, Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony is the West Highland line, specifically starting at the bottom end of Loch Treig and finishing on the Horseshoe Curve.

 

[Strathclyder]

The Glasgow Underground by Francie and Josie. Perhaps the most on-the-nose example this thread will see granted, but I always find myself mentally humming: 'Merkland Street and Cessnock' at some point whenever I go 'shoogling':

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

If I may digress slightly (I'm not sure how successful a bus-themed equivalent of this thread would be)...

Don't Speak by No Doubt always seems to remind me of the Compass Travel route 32 - in particular the section between Chilworth and Gomshall (somewhat railway-related, I guess). I remember travelling on the route during the midst of COVID-19 with the driver blasting out the song along that scenic section of route, accompanied by the smell of berry-scented hand sanitiser.

I don't know why, but the moment has always stuck with me rather vividly.

 

[C J Snarzell]

The Dream Academy ''Life in a Northern Town'' from 1984 always springs to mind when travelling through the Calder Valley. The music video was shot in Hebden Bridge and featured a few shots of the local railway. Such a beautiful song that is probably more familiar to most people via the club style remixed version produced by Sugarland in 2008. The original was far superior in quality. Such a shame the Dream Academy weren't more successful.

CJ

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Dream Academy ''Life in a Northern Town'' from 1984 always springs to mind when travelling through the Calder Valley. The music video was shot in Hebden Bridge and featured a few shots of the local railway. Such a beautiful song that is probably more familiar to most people via the club style remixed version produced by Sugarland in 2008. The original was far superior in quality. Such a shame the Dream Academy weren't more successful.

CJ

Sorry for going a bit off-topic, but those words together always make me think of this:

(Clip is of Vic Reeves doing his "Club Style" singing on Shooting Stars)

 

[johnnychips]

I was overtired on an all line rover at about two in the morning between Crewe and Shrewsbury- that might tell you how long ago it was - and the song ’Dance Away’ by Roxy Music entered by head and became as one with the rhythm of the train. I haven’t taken mind-altering drugs, but I think that was the nearest I came. It was surreal.

 

[Lloyds siding]

Not a single place, but 'Slow Train' by Flanders and Swann has a whole list of some current, but mostly, former stations.

 

[satisnek]

As someone whose younger life has been mapped out by music, far too many to mention. And then, later on in the 2000s, many Saturday morning journeys were undertaken with my ears plugged into Sounds Of The Sixties with the late Brian Matthew, which resulted in many memories including:

• Love Affair - Bringin' On Back The Good Times (going north of Derby in the Duffield/Belper area)
• The Flowerpot Men - A Walk In The Sky (Long Eaton - East Midlands Parkway, crossing the River Trent/Cranfleet Cut). Nowadays I sometimes moor here and still have the song in my head.
• The Roulettes - The Long Cigarette (looking across the valley on the London side of High Wycombe)
• my username, Amen Corner - Satisnek The Jobs Worth (passing through the former Smethwick West station)
• Paintbox - Get Ready For Love (waiting on the platform at Kidderminster and watching people use the footbridge which had just opened at the time)
• etc. etc.

Not location specific, but Nik Kershaw's Wouldn't It Be Good is always redolent of dimly-lit Mark1 compos with Trojan seat fabric. I've no idea why, apart from 'being of the time'; it's certainly nothing to do with the video - Level 42's Something About You is far more relevant in this respect.

 

[nr758123]

There's this song by Billy Connolly which reminds me of a particular location, or possibly that particular location reminds me of a song.

For reasons which I can't explain, National S***e Day by Half Man Half Biscuit reminds me of Barnsley Interchange

 

[306024]

Time to trot out 'change at Thorpe-le-Soken for Walton-on-the-Naze' by The Onion Band again.

Or (very) alternatively Downbound Train by Bruce Springsteen evokes memories of Amtrak journeys on the East Coast around Philadelphia.