13 Songs – 4

 When you’re young – The Jam

The Jam were my band. Ever since they sped on stage at the Winter Gardens in Eastbourne on 9^th June 1977 – they were mine! From ‘In the City’ their first 7” via their debut album of the same name, various singles with the word ‘World’ in the title, their slow growing but ultimately rather good second album (especially the more introspective numbers like ‘Life from a Window’ and ‘Tonight at Noon’) on to their magnum opus ‘All Mod Cons’, ‘Strange Town’ and then ‘When you’re young’ – they were my band… They obviously continued to be my band, all the way to their perfectly timed end. However, their 8^th single has always struck me as being the very moment they went from excellent to truly fucking amazing. Like most of the other tracks on this list this isn’t particularly my stand out track but the combination of the song, the sleeve, the b-side, the time, the place, the paisley shirt, the dub section, the lyrics, the riff, the woah-ho’s, the coda, the video, the version on ‘Something Else’ the black & white Rickenbacker 330 and the various barnstorming live versions all led me to the certain belief that my band were indeed the best band in the land!

I had backed the 6^th favourite and it had stormed home in the final straight leaving the rest trailing. The other horses in the Punk Rock/New Wave Handicap Stakes had lined up like this…

The Sex Pistols – Evens, The Clash 2-1 (Shortened from 3-1), Buzzcocks 4-1, The Stranglers 9-2, The Damned 8-1 (from two’s) and The Jam 10-1, 20-1 bar these. And now The Jam were in the winners enclosure, whilst the others were either splitting up, overdosing, reforming, trying to break America or simply struggling to write anything that the whole band liked! 

Whilst I know art shouldn’t be compared to sport or competition, it invariably is and in the heady days of punk, it was important to back the right outfit. Just ask my mate who plumped for The Merton Parkas instead of The Chords – a tragic miscalculation that he’s still paying for even now!

Anyway, back to the thing that really matters, the song. There is a pace, wit and healthy cynicism that comes beautifully produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and brilliantly delivered by the band. My only frustration is that the dub section doesn’t run on for another two hours! Apart from that unrealistic expectation, what we are left with is…  another blistering single from my band – The Jam! 

Life is timeless, days are long when you're young
You used to fall in love with everyone
Any guitar and any bass drum
Life is a drink and you get drunk when you're young
Life is new and there's things to be done
You can't wait to be grown up
Acceptance into the capital world
You pull on some weed, then you pull on someone when you're young

But you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to comprehend
Why you set up your dreams to have them smashed in the end

But you don't mind you've got time on your side
And they're never gonna make you stand in line
You're just waiting for the right time

Oh oh
Oh oh

You're fearless and brave, you can't be stopped when you're young
You swear you're never ever gonna work for someone
No corporations for the new age sons
Tears of rage roll down your face
But still you say "it's fun"

And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam

It's got you in its grip before you're born
It's done with the use of a dice and a board
And let you think you're king but you're really a pawn

Oh oh
Oh oh
Oh oh

You're fearless and brave, you can't be stopped when you're young
You used to fall in love with everyone
Any guitar and any bass drum

 

All over the country the lights are going out

in millions of homes and thousands of flats, 

going out, going out, going out..

 

Songwriter: Paul Weller

When You’re Young lyrics © Stylist Music Ltd.