A song about the break-up of friends at the end of their time together, in this case at the University of Birmingham, where I studied as an undergraduate. This is actually the earliest of all the songs recorded here, being written in the summer of 1971.
The melody was pinched from Al Stewart’s "Gethsemane Again". Al was a very popular performer at many student events in those days, and along with Ralph McTell and Roy Harper, had a great influence on me; demonstrating that an individual guy with a guitar and some songs that actually had something to say could command an audience and make an impression. Sorry about the tune, Al - hope you don’t mind.
"Standing on the platform in the morning" sounds a bit Simon and Garfunkel-ish. The image became dated as everyone tumbled into private cars; but it’s funny how things can turn around - last year more people travelled by train that at any time since the 1920’s. |
