The United Kingdom Of Song #26: Slough

Last week's post featured Eton via The Eton Rifles by The Jam... but Eton isn't the only place mentioned in that tune. Another town, slightly less picturesque, is mentioned in the opening lyrics...

Sup up your beer and collect your fags

There's a row going on down near Slough

Slough is the home of classic sitcom The Office, and Ricky Gervais obviously chose the town because of it's reputation. Long before The Office, Slough was immortalised in this poem by John Betjeman...

Slough

Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!

It isn't fit for humans now, 

There isn't grass to graze a cow. 

Swarm over, Death!

Come, bombs and blow to smithereens

Those air -conditioned, bright canteens, 

Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans, 

Tinned minds, tinned breath.

Mess up the mess they call a town-

A house for ninety-seven down

And once a week a half a crown 

For twenty years.

And get that man with double chin

Who'll always cheat and always win, 

Who washes his repulsive skin 

In women's tears:

And smash his desk of polished oak

And smash his hands so used to stroke

And stop his boring dirty joke

And make him yell.

But spare the bald young clerks who add

The profits of the stinking cad;

It's not their fault that they are mad, 

They've tasted Hell.

It's not their fault they do not know 

The birdsong from the radio, 

It's not their fault they often go 

To Maidenhead

And talk of sport and makes of cars

In various bogus-Tudor bars 

And daren't look up and see the stars

But belch instead.

In labour-saving homes, with care

Their wives frizz out peroxide hair

And dry it in synthetic air

And paint their nails.

Come, friendly bombs and fall on Slough

To get it ready for the plough.

The cabbages are coming now;

The earth exhales.

Morrissey obviously stole a trick or two from Betjeman when he wrote Everyday Is Like Sunday... although he changed the location for the bombs to drop to a drizzly, northern seaside town.

Slough also inspired Marillion to pen this little curiosity...

Marillion - Costa del Slough

In fact, it seems only David Brent himself has anything good to sing about Slough...

David Brent - Slough

A fair few famous people hailed from Slough though, including Rebel Rouser Cliff Bennett, original Deep Purple vocalist Rod Evans (although iffypedia also says he was born in Eton), Len "Chip" Hawkes of The Tremeloes (Chesney's dad),  Tracey Ullman and 90's indie band Thousand Yard Stare. Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson even set up a studio there, to film some of his most famous creations.

Today's winning song comes from a band far less well-known than any of the above luminaries... although The Tiger Lillies do pretty well at summing up everything you've read above in just 90 seconds.

I've never been to Slough, but I'm sure it's lovely.