Aisle Be Seeing You...

In my trainspottery imagination the most urgent question is this: how many rock and roll songs out there mention Woolworths in the lyrics? Now that a cultural landmark is under threat, how can we chart its presence in the pop song?

The first tune that comes to mind is 'Love At The Five And Dime' by Nanci Griffith. Of course it's a vision of the convenience store, viewed through the prism of Fifties Americana, but it's a start. The opening lyrics are:

"Rita was sixteen years... hazel eyes and chestnut hair

she made the Woolworth counter shine."

I've got a feeling that the UK writers saw a more prosaic side of the story and sure enough, there's a song by The Jam called 'Saturday Girls'. It's not the best Paul Weller lyric. Oh no.

"Saturday's girls work in Tesco's and Woolworths,

Wear cheap perfume 'cause it's all they can afford."

There are many songs that deal with passion in the shopping aisles, but sadly I can't fit The Freshies and 'I'm In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk' into this equation, even though it's rather great. We might even make a case for Cashier No. 9. And yes, I do recall that there was a passable indie act called King Of Woolworths.

Diana Krall took a few high maintenance liberties when she revised a song that from the Marilyn Monroe songbook, 'I Can't Give you Anything But Love':

"Gee it's nice to see you looking swell, baby

Diamond bracelets Woolworths doesn't sell, baby"

Finally though, I get the song that clinches the deal. It's a lesser known punk tune, delivered with gusto by Poly Styrene. Interestingly, she's back in action, bleating her way through a Gold Blade song called 'City Of Christmas Ghosts'. But I'm listening back to a stomper from the band's 1978 debut, 'Germ Free Adolescents'. The tune you need to hear is: 'Warrior In Woolworths':

"Warrior in Woolworths

Humble he may seem

Behind his servile innocence

He plots and he schemes."

It's the last of the counter culture classics.