Doves – Black And White Town

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Here comes the action
Here it comes at last
Lord give me a reaction
Lord give me a chance

You should follow me down

In satellite towns
There's no color and no sound
I'll be ten feet underground
Gotta get out of this satellite town

Here comes some action
First time in my life
Gotta get out to get compensation
Gotta get out to get this to last

Whether you live alone
Or you're trying to find your way in this world
You better make sure that you don't
Crack you head on that pavement man!
My God! The shock!
It's been preying on me and mine
This is a dangerous place man
This is a dangerous place, there's nothing here

You should follow your way down

In satellite towns
There's no color and no sound
I'll be down fee underground
In a black and white town

You should follow me down
There's no color and no sound
In a black and white town
I'll be ten feet underground
In a black and white town

Send "Black And White Town" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by minkydave

Track duration: 04:15

"Black and White Town" as written by Andy 178189915 Williams, Jimi Goodwin, Jez Williams

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Black And White Town song meanings
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29 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:To me, I know it's a lot different of an interpretation, but I like to think of it as living in a boring "black and white" town, having nothing to do but get pissed and have conversation.

    "It's a dangerous place man" to me means that kids have nothing else to do, but get in fights, and just hit random people going by.. "the sound of nightlife" is wanting to live in a place with a decent nightlife, and knowing you'll get it eventually, when you leave, so you can guarentee it, so you can hear it, but not actually physically be there, or, see it..

    Epic video(s) too.

    I only interpret it like that because this is what my towns like at the moment.. two more years until i'm moving to England or over the other side of Australia..

    Flag KyleeFon July 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's definitely him growing up in his depressing sattelite town and eventually escaping to live in the city. He is trying to convince someone else to get out as well. The line: "you took me underground in a black and white town" is his attack on this person who was trying to drag him down into the doldrums of the sattelite town (or black and white town) before he got out.
    Flag delhoyaon March 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This was the first Doves song I ever heard and even before I really paid attention to the lyrics I said this reminds me of living in the city (I live/grew up in the city) and the music alone tells the story of the song. Ironically enough this song is talking about cities. I liek when he says " you took me underground in a black and white town" reminds me of people Ive met that show me the different side of the city.
    Flag Llij27on January 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:spot on, luisagiffard, this is Heatwave. But they made it something new, and I love it.
    Flag shmortisborgon December 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the lyrics are:

    Here comes some action
    First time in my life
    I gotta get up to get compensation
    I gotta get up to get this to light

    Anyway, I think the song has a soulful feel to it, thats why i gravitate to it.

    I totally get the meaning of the song:

    he lives in a satellitte town, you know those towns where's there's nothing but industrial jobs and no city lights, etc. This is in the chorus.

    Then the verses are about how he wants some city action,, like the color and lights bring life to him. Then someone warns him about the city being "a dangerous place, man"
    Also he doesn"t want to be ft underground in a black and white town...
    Flag GrungyBeatleon August 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm pretty sure its:

    'I gotta get up to get compensation
    I gotta get up to get this to light'

    Rather then:

    'Gotta get out to get conversation
    Gotta get out to get pissed tonight'
    Flag fairweathermatthewon August 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The 'Satellite town' refers to Wilmslow, a town in cheshire, south of Manchester.
    Flag g03648on March 19, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Surely these lyrics, as posted by minkydave, are wrong? I always thought the second verse began:

    'In satellite towns,
    There's no colour and no sound...'

    And the third verse began:

    'Here comes some action,
    First time in my life...'

    Or have I been wrong all this time?
    Flag richeyeon December 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Here's some stuff:
    This song is inspired by Heatwave by Martha and the Vandellas. You can really pick up the similarities with a bit of parallel listening. I also read in an interview that it's about watching a new and exciting city on a broken television (with black & white and no sound.) The members of Doves lived in satellite towns to Manchester, so it's personal experience
    Flag louisagiffardon September 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is fantastic. I just got Some Cities yesterday - it's officially the first CD I have ever owned.
    I've got a question. What's "satellite towns"?
    Elbow mention them too in their song Forget Myself. Is it a Manchester thing or something?
    Flag louisagiffardon August 18, 2006   Link

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