RIP Terry Hall. I was 14 at comprehensive school when this came out. Loved everything Terry Hall was involved with. It was very much a track of its time but it is timeless
About the same age. We were leaving the uk for a family holday in france and this was the last tune we heard getting on the ferry. Just felt so 'right'. RIP indeed. I feel broken..
The fact I'm Listening to this in 2022 and the lyrics are still relevant is a bloody tragedy. Bless you Terry Hall you were a hero of my generation and beyond....
i think they are even more relevant than they have been in 25 years. This song has such atmosphere, something you just don't get from current music for some reason
We should be looking at old songs like this and laughing; "Things are much better now. What a joke!" But actually, they are WORSE! At least back then you could go to a pub/club with your dole/pocket money and buy a beer and chill. Now, you need a mortgage to do it. Very few cheap places around now to blow-off steam. That's not good!
Whose still listening in 2024! 👻 currently watching This Town & made me rediscover The Specials........this song is iconic to us Brits, especially as a Nothern Brit! 👌🏼
RIP Terry Hall. He was a good soul who leaves a tremendous legacy of music that will be forever revered. Ghost Town made a powerful statement about urban decay, racism and poverty in the UK at the same time as the riots of 1981. Very sad news of his passing. May he rest in peace.
I remember hearing this, and thinking of Toxteth burning during the riots. So fitting back then. And how little we have moved on today, still that unrest brewing just below the middle-class veneer of hopes.
@@clairewilson524 Thatcher destroyed society and the price is still being paid today- that is her legacy. Labour capitulated by accepting the neoliberal settlement under Thatcher, betraying working people as a result. The riots of 2011 were dismissed by many as consumerist, opportunistic greed instead of having a more fundamental cause rooted in poverty, lack of opportunity and racism. While there will have been some opportunism, in a society that is so unequal and unfair, it is no wonder it happened. The only surprise is that it did not happen sooner or since 2011. That is not to justify it, but it is about cause and effect. Britain is unstable beneath the apparent calm. Lack of trust in institutions, austerity hollowing out services, even wider inequality ( most unequal country in Europe apart from Bulgaria) and the trashing of 'democracy' by the Tories, has left the UK on its knees. It is a society and economy spinning out of control. The warnings were sounded when Ghost Town pulsated through the land.
@@eightiesmusic1984 I totally agree with most of what you say. I hate Thatcher to this day, and Ghost Town reminds me of the hopelessness of our city as jobs disappeared and managed decay took over. The riots I'm talking about where around the country and included Toxteth in 1981. Houses broken into and furniture piled onto the streets then set ablaze. Police No Go Areas, and rage, neither have disappeared, we just allowed ourselves to be manipulated by the press and the rightwing successive governments.
@@reidkyle5030 That is what trumpniks and Ivans say. They discard official figures coz they are conspiracy theorists AND Trumpositories... I understand a lot more than mountain boys
Agreed. That period from 1976 to 1982. When you left school with nothing to hope for only the dole queue. The country was on its knees. But out of this desperation came the energy of youth channeled into the greatest music. The kids today are still as great as we were but if they have everything what's there to protest about what's there to fight for. To seek being a part of something. Identity has become a twitter feed. Glad I was a kid then and not now. That's why there's no great music made, just mediocrity.
Absolutely! Brilliant music with a simple but innovative tune which gets right into your head and under your skin. The lyrics are an incisive commentary on inner city Britain in 1981. By coincidence it went to Number 1 in July 1981 in the same week as Brixton, Toxteth, Moss Side, Glasgow were ablaze. This is social commentary of the highest order; as relevant to the 2010s and this era of austerity as they were to Thatcher's recession-scarred Britain.
Im 15 now and got into ska just a few months ago but my life is changed. I didnt know Terry when he was alive, but his music and his genre have completely changed me as a person and ill never forget him
Nice one little man. I was into this stuff as a kid even though it was before my time. I can't remember the names of too many ska bands I liked back then, but The Beat were great, and The Selecter were cool too. That era and the era just preceding it and just after it was brilliant for British music. If you haven't already then try The Clash, there's some obvious cross over there as they played ska and reggae on quite a few tunes but some less obvious bands and artists to try are The Pogues, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Billy Bragg and of course The Jam. There's loads more but try delve into them a bit if you ain't already, I think we made some of the coolest music ever made round that time.
Just like today, nothing left, people have lost themselves,now it's plastic barbies and Kens and everyones the same , no identity with them, just plain Jane's and twee
One of the most hard hitting social commentary lyrics of all time, written by a genuinely talented musician. Rest easy Terry Hall, you'll be missed by many.
RIP Terry Hall. I’m just gutted. The Specials were a band that just reached across generations. From my junior year in high school, to a girl I dated in the nineties, to a woman I loved for twenty years, and to my oldest child...we all connected over this amazing band.
@@aranyos1056 I've recently turned 30-.. I'm lucky enough to remember a bit of life before 9/11. and I guess I'm lucky because I can just about remember what half the world's maniacs were trying to tear down, I feel sorry for my younger siblings that were born later- all they've known is.. terrorists trying to kill them, Russians launching chemical attacks on british soil, unelected bureaucrats offshore trying to control their futures ..Goldman sach profiting from misery - mass migration.. conservatives .. I mean I tear up a bit... I tear up a bt at the thought of people my age going into hospital with illnesses they shouldnt get till sixty while those in their 90s are still fighting to live longer and control more wealth.. Its truly mad..
I played this in my car, 16 speakers, LOUD, cruising during the pandemic year…just circling and circling endless city blocks, BLASTING THIS…Punk/ska is a LIFESTYLE.
I was 11 when this came out. Written about inner cities going to shit, racial division, etc. I'm now 52 and it's still relevant. It's my most played track on Spotify...174 times this year. A top top top tune. Terry Hall was an underrated genius.
My sister was so in love with The Specials. She died 11 years ago today. I'm probably the only person on the planet that crys like a baby when she hears them. It sounds sad but I can not express hpw grateful I am for The Specials.
Jessica Beverage: I'm so sorry to read about your sister and the distress that's evoked by this wonderful song. You obviously loved your sister. Don't be ashamed of your emotional responses. You're human. Life is bafflingly painful at times. I wish you all happiness. X
Jessica you are not alone. I lost my brother to cancer 10 years ago and he was big on The Specials and Sublime so I regularly play their songs when I’m thinking about him. It doesn’t always make me cry but it definitely helps me feel like he’s still with me. Big hugs hon and hope it gets better for you ❤️
Remarkable tune, one of the most unforgettable intro's and first few bars. So distinctive, so fresh, melodic perfection. Will never be forgotten and yet we're in 2024 - still as fresh as back then.
discover more at the playlist against algorithms channel..... We are the reason the music wave was started. Come hang out leave the mainstream by itself to rot.
This World will not be a ghost town because Ghost town will be played forever .. absolute classic what a incredible man Terry Hall.. rest in Peace Condolences to your band mates your family.. and your many fans around the World 🌎 .. legend
Couldn't be any more relevant nowadays. The situation and cause may be different from back then, but the world is more of a ghost town now than ever before.
This is probably the most timeless song ever written. As relevant today as is was then. "People getting angry" I truly believe that many of today's issues are because successive governments have left youth, both white and black, on the shelf
@@farzanamughal5933 keep it with youth - color does not matter to us - he's wrong to call it race tho, 'cause there is no race with humankind, all the same just some dif and mixed up colors
"Do you remember the good old days/Before the Ghost Town?" Heard this song back in 1981, just before the major riots took place around the country. Nearly forty years later, the theme of this song is an eerie summary of London right now due to the outbreak of coronavirus. There was hardly anybody about, when I went out yesterday evening. Still creepily brilliant after all these years.
This song is all about Coventry in the 80tees period the band were co Coventry City born and bred most of them were from the ends of hillfields just outside cov City centre consisting of about 12 Tower blocks and a front line strip where I lost many man's friendship to the eco of the gun shots sometimes over nutting and all the old back streets and the bits, so basically it was about the boom town entering the ghost town, me gone🇮🇪🍀🙏
I heard this a few weeks ago being played live in Oxford Street. It sounded absolutely amazing! Brought all my childhood back to me. The 80's were magic.
Growing up in 70's & 80's Britain The Specials defined the era ! what a legend we sadly lost today -RIP Terry Hall ,God needed a divine voice up there !
I just read your comment 😢, it is bittersweet 😊! Thank you, it brought me comfort. I’ve always said I’m a child of the 70’s and 80’s. This is truly one of those unique songs I craved! I love it’s Reggae beat. At time stamp 2:44, the voices remind me of cat voices (if cats could sing). I especially love black cats 🐈⬛ because they are the most beautiful and most lucky! Every Halloween 🎃 👻 I blast this song! You gave me a beautiful vision; Terry Hall in Heaven along with my black cats whom have since passed singing along on Halloween when I still blast this song 🎵!❣️
I’ve been residing in Tulsa Oklahoma for the past three years. Playing this in my car while driving through the frozen-in-Time neighborhoods & condemned relics of Americana combined with urban madness that inspired SE Hinton to write The Outsiders is more chilling than you think.
Rest in peace Terry Hall. The Specials were an iconic 80s band...no-one else looked or sounded quite like them. Instantly recognisable when their songs came on the radio.
I was a fresh-faced 19 when this hit the charts, I'm 60 now. It puts things into perspective how old these songs are, but they were great days for alternative/independent music. So long Terry, thanks for the tunes.
RIP Terry. Remember hearing this on radio 1 back in the day and it blew my mind and the words are so true especially in today's world. Will miss you Terry Hall
It's an excellent, timeless haunting song. No matter where you are, at what time, or what political views you have, this song is always suitable as a protest song.
RIP Terry. One of THE best things to EVER come out of Coventry, bar none!! Would be fitting for this song to be charting again, not only due to the god awful circumstances of the loss of Terry, but the state of the UK at the moment to be fair.
This is such a banger. It'll always remind me of older brother, who introduce me to it, when we used to take late night drives through empty roads like these, listening to good music. Good times. Still miss you Marc.
This oldy is so relevant for these days we are megerly surviving and existing in , beings back the good days of my youth . All my mates are dead now and I am a loner . Cheers to you mate and sorry for your loss
Loved this band..Terry Hall was a talented artist and a good person..he suffered greatly in his youth and still managed to overcome his problems. R.I.P ❤️
My god, when Terry sings the bit about " do you remember the good old days".....one of the great moments in pop music. Every time I hear him sing that part it just gives me the chills.
It is a lament for better times and a cry of despair about the present and future postponed-that's what it sounds like to me. The backing vocals also conjure a real sense of angst and foreboding.
Saw the Specials last night in Brighton. What a performance, such a tight band. Lynville is 70 and still manages to perform his vocals as well as cover for the absent Neville, just brilliant. Terry's voice was pitch perfect and sounded just the same as the albums over forty years ago, incredible. His dry sense of humour was wonderful too. Horace's bass lines were a joy. "Nobody is Special." But they were, Very Special.
Terribly sad news to wake up to today... RIP Terry. A genuine, caring, loving, and talented person... Thank you for the music, thank you for standing against prejudice, and thank you for opening up about your mental health and helping other people with theirs... You will be missed, but not forgotten.
RIP Terry, you were a poster boy for being a survivor and turning tragedy into triumph. Condolences to his family, friends, band mates and fans around the world, of which, i am one. Love from Canada 🕯🕯🕯🕯😢
As a truck driver living through COVID as an expendable employee I used to rock this going through downtown Portland with no traffic. Sad to hear the dude died. Very good song very good music. Cheers
As a teen I grew up listening to ska, reggae & punk from this era. I've always especially loved this track. Idk why it reminds me of the Falkland war & those who didn't get back to they're home town.
RIP to an absolute legend, Terry Hall, who along with his gifted band members created some of the best hits of the late 70s/early 80s...including this masterpiece.
Masterpiece! You couldn't have stated a more accurate comment.. I loved it then, and now, my youngest girl, now 25, says this song reminds her of me, lol..
"Ghost Town" is a song by the British two-tone band the Specials, released on 12 June 1981.[1] The song spent three weeks at number one and 10 weeks in total in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Addressing themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities, the song is remembered for being a hit at the same time as riots were occurring in British cities.
Didn't this also get banned by the BBC? I remember seeing something on American news, amazingly enough, about this song and the Police's "Invisible Sun" both being banned from airplay.
Im 27 and i feel People too scared and self conscious to release music like this now..classics like this are real music just expression and sounds making people dance and ponder what ever is on their mind in the moment
Another one of the good guys has departed. RIP Terry. You will be missed. This record still stands up today, and speaks up for millions across the country.
There is a phrase that has been tossed around way too much and it's generational talent. There are some who deserve that title and there are some who don't, Terry Hall is one of those artists who deserves that title. Rest in peace Terry, your Legend will never die not as long as we're still here to play your music and to tell your stories
Yes, they were the best. A friend of mine from the start of the 80s summed it up well, we were teenagers. "Like the Madness image best, like the Specials music best." Honourable mention for the Beat, mind you.
I remember during L.A. riots, I was driving home from a commercial shoot north of the city. The curfew was in effect. It was after dark and the sodium vapor lights glowed from all the smoke in air from the fires. I was cruising through north Hollywood back to my apartment. There wasn’t a soul or car on the streets except for national guard. This song came on the radio. I will never forget it. It was creepy eerie and a bit unnerving.
![The Specials - Gangsters (Official Music Video) [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lgCZN1rU5co/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Specials - Gangsters (Official Music Video) [HD]](/img/tr.png)
RIP Terry Hall. I was 14 at comprehensive school when this came out. Loved everything Terry Hall was involved with. It was very much a track of its time but it is timeless
About the same age.
We were leaving the uk for a family holday in france and this was the last tune we heard getting on the ferry. Just felt so 'right'.
RIP indeed. I feel broken..
RIP Terry Hall,Skinhead til i die
RIP Terry
Agreed. One absurdly underrated singer. And admittedly even his own former band mates didn't know he was gravely ill. R.I.P..
Not really - it feels like we've come full circle
This plays in my head every time a waiter asks me if I'd like to hear the specials.
F*cking hilarious!!! ;-] AWESOME!!
👊
👽👽👽👽
That's funny.
H'on FA&H
The fact I'm Listening to this in 2022 and the lyrics are still relevant is a bloody tragedy. Bless you Terry Hall you were a hero of my generation and beyond....
Thinking the same
Right as rain, mate
i think they are even more relevant than they have been in 25 years. This song has such atmosphere, something you just don't get from current music for some reason
We should be looking at old songs like this and laughing; "Things are much better now. What a joke!" But actually, they are WORSE! At least back then you could go to a pub/club with your dole/pocket money and buy a beer and chill. Now, you need a mortgage to do it. Very few cheap places around now to blow-off steam. That's not good!
@@bobrew461 agreed! Too much tax on alcohol in the UK, and very questionable if it's actually benefited anyone... Other than the polititians pockets!
Whose still listening in 2024! 👻 currently watching This Town & made me rediscover The Specials........this song is iconic to us Brits, especially as a Nothern Brit! 👌🏼
Just sat in the car today at the Coventry Music Museum 😀
People disappearing by you, war songs.
Only watched 2 episodes so far. Loving it. Won't be eating any fingers though lol
It's as relevant now as then.
Ska for the win!
It's so hard to believe this song is 40 years old, it's incredibly timeless
most Ska Songs are timeless like from Madness songs as well.
Yeah, it's way ahead of it's time.
I remember 81 moving to Coventry when this song was out. Too much fighting in Coventry.
Great place to be a student.
Relavent at the moment aye. Through generations still poetic and profound
@@te9591
I'm guessing you were not around in '81.
Listening to this at the Winchester, waiting for this all to blow over...
LOL drink a pink for me bud
*Winks
hows ed going
got my pint, got my pig snacks, what else do you need?
@WonkaaVision You might wanna lay off the internet for a while, mate.
RIP Terry Hall. He was a good soul who leaves a tremendous legacy of music that will be forever revered. Ghost Town made a powerful statement about urban decay, racism and poverty in the UK at the same time as the riots of 1981. Very sad news of his passing. May he rest in peace.
Very well said. And thank you Terry.
I remember hearing this, and thinking of Toxteth burning during the riots. So fitting back then. And how little we have moved on today, still that unrest brewing just below the middle-class veneer of hopes.
RIP terry hall my music another one gone
@@clairewilson524 Thatcher destroyed society and the price is still being paid today- that is her legacy. Labour capitulated by accepting the neoliberal settlement under Thatcher, betraying working people as a result. The riots of 2011 were dismissed by many as consumerist, opportunistic greed instead of having a more fundamental cause rooted in poverty, lack of opportunity and racism. While there will have been some opportunism, in a society that is so unequal and unfair, it is no wonder it happened. The only surprise is that it did not happen sooner or since 2011. That is not to justify it, but it is about cause and effect. Britain is unstable beneath the apparent calm. Lack of trust in institutions, austerity hollowing out services, even wider inequality ( most unequal country in Europe apart from Bulgaria) and the trashing of 'democracy' by the Tories, has left the UK on its knees. It is a society and economy spinning out of control. The warnings were sounded when Ghost Town pulsated through the land.
@@eightiesmusic1984 I totally agree with most of what you say. I hate Thatcher to this day, and Ghost Town reminds me of the hopelessness of our city as jobs disappeared and managed decay took over.
The riots I'm talking about where around the country and included Toxteth in 1981. Houses broken into and furniture piled onto the streets then set ablaze. Police No Go Areas, and rage, neither have disappeared, we just allowed ourselves to be manipulated by the press and the rightwing successive governments.
Moody, deliciously eerie & still relevant. So many ghost towns.
unemployment at all time lows..
O my God so relevant today!!
@@adriennescotson1641 Why ? unemployment is low ..especially if you paid attention in school..
@@SunofYork lol the classic not understanding the first thing about employement. USA workforce participation is an all time low
@@reidkyle5030 That is what trumpniks and Ivans say. They discard official figures coz they are conspiracy theorists AND Trumpositories... I understand a lot more than mountain boys
RIP Terry Hall. This song remains a British masterpiece.
A world masterpiece
And it's Ireland's national anthem. 😉
I did not know that 😳 am going to listen to the Specials all day now
I still think Elvis is leaving the office
@@unakennellyx
Heartbroken to learn of Terry Hall’s passing. You helped change the world and give a voice to so many people. Your legacy will live forever. RIP.
👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾😢😢😢😢
Me too was a huge fan saw them in concert in the 80s 😪
way too young to have died RIP
Thank you for saying exactly what I wanted to say. Saw them several years ago and they were still incredible. Terrible loss.
One of the most culturally significant songs in British music history. Genius.
Iain Park Amen to that, the only other at this level is God Save The Queen by The Pistols.
Agreed. That period from 1976 to 1982. When you left school with nothing to hope for only the dole queue. The country was on its knees. But out of this desperation came the energy of youth channeled into the greatest music. The kids today are still as great as we were but if they have everything what's there to protest about what's there to fight for. To seek being a part of something. Identity has become a twitter feed. Glad I was a kid then and not now. That's why there's no great music made, just mediocrity.
Iain Park Absolutely.
Iain Park i like too see that you agree with me, I'm 16. hand on heart id rather live and experience then than now: I enjoy everything about this era.
Absolutely! Brilliant music with a simple but innovative tune which gets right into your head and under your skin. The lyrics are an incisive commentary on inner city Britain in 1981. By coincidence it went to Number 1 in July 1981 in the same week as Brixton, Toxteth, Moss Side, Glasgow were ablaze. This is social commentary of the highest order; as relevant to the 2010s and this era of austerity as they were to Thatcher's recession-scarred Britain.
Im 15 now and got into ska just a few months ago but my life is changed. I didnt know Terry when he was alive, but his music and his genre have completely changed me as a person and ill never forget him
Nice one little man. I was into this stuff as a kid even though it was before my time. I can't remember the names of too many ska bands I liked back then, but The Beat were great, and The Selecter were cool too. That era and the era just preceding it and just after it was brilliant for British music. If you haven't already then try The Clash, there's some obvious cross over there as they played ska and reggae on quite a few tunes but some less obvious bands and artists to try are The Pogues, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Billy Bragg and of course The Jam. There's loads more but try delve into them a bit if you ain't already, I think we made some of the coolest music ever made round that time.
❤😊
RIO TERRY
This track never ages.... it's as brilliant today as it was 40 years ago. One of the greatest songs ever to come out of this country. RIP Terry Hall
Just like today, nothing left, people have lost themselves,now it's plastic barbies and Kens and everyones the same , no identity with them, just plain Jane's and twee
i dont like it at all.... and i am from the world war so i know my history
102 years old today actually
put some respect on phelpy baby
@@michaelphelpsaccidentalson127 what the moose are you talking about 🤨
I discovered this song during the Covid lockdown. Appropriate.
Timeless classic. RIP Terry Hall.
RIP terry hall. He was a genius. They were all quite quite extraordinary. This is still breath taking.
The unintentional Seinfeld reference...
But still Adele 1000000000000 times better !!!
Timeless classic which doesn't age. It sounds just as good now as it did when it was first released. It's a genuine masterpiece!
100% for sure.
Agree! This masterpiece is art! 👍🏴
One of the most hard hitting social commentary lyrics of all time, written by a genuinely talented musician. Rest easy Terry Hall, you'll be missed by many.
it was i was 9 when this came out in Liverpool ,i seen the effects of a inner city life
Jerry Dammers wrote it though, like most of their songs. (Terry only has one writing credit for the first 2 albums.)
Bang on statement.
This should be known by many others.
Great song, very well sung by Terry but was written by Jerry Dammers.
RIP Terry Hall. I’m just gutted. The Specials were a band that just reached across generations. From my junior year in high school, to a girl I dated in the nineties, to a woman I loved for twenty years, and to my oldest child...we all connected over this amazing band.
Pretty original song for the eightys
Thanks for sharing
Even after 40 years still such a haunting and relevant song.
Big vibe
40 years? . My god!
It's so relevant now 40 years later as the new world order try to destroy our lives
@@aranyos1056 I've recently turned 30-.. I'm lucky enough to remember a bit of life before 9/11. and I guess I'm lucky because I can just about remember what half the world's maniacs were trying to tear down, I feel sorry for my younger siblings that were born later- all they've known is.. terrorists trying to kill them, Russians launching chemical attacks on british soil, unelected bureaucrats offshore trying to control their futures ..Goldman sach profiting from misery - mass migration.. conservatives .. I mean I tear up a bit... I tear up a bt at the thought of people my age going into hospital with illnesses they shouldnt get till sixty while those in their 90s are still fighting to live longer and control more wealth.. Its truly mad..
😂
I played this in my car, 16 speakers, LOUD, cruising during the pandemic year…just circling and circling endless city blocks, BLASTING THIS…Punk/ska is a LIFESTYLE.
I was 11 when this came out.
Written about inner cities going to shit, racial division, etc. I'm now 52 and it's still relevant.
It's my most played track on Spotify...174 times this year. A top top top tune.
Terry Hall was an underrated genius.
It's sad that it's still relevant, we haven't moved on......
I was 10
Jerry Dammers wrote it
Yes! I remember my big sister turned me on to the specials…
Respect 🙏
RIP Terry Hall,your music and lyrics will live forever 🙏❤
#TheMusicOfMyYouth 🎶
Terry didn't write these lyrics.
You might find Neville was responsible
One of the most unique songs I've ever heard. Still fresh in 2019.
SlabBacon yessirrr
Yes, most definitely. I absolutely love this song.
Its depressing dated shit,only The Jam sound as good today!
😎🕴🏁
And as relevant.
Always makes my hair stand on end - back then and now - superbly stirring.
I know what you mean .My mate introduced me to the specials The day Ghost town hit the charts ,I was hooked from that day 🎶👍
RIP Terry Hall. Responsible for some of the tunes of my 80s youth. Brings back those days so vividly
My sister was so in love with The Specials. She died 11 years ago today. I'm probably the only person on the planet that crys like a baby when she hears them. It sounds sad but I can not express hpw grateful I am for The Specials.
Jessica Beverage: I'm so sorry to read about your sister and the distress that's evoked by this wonderful song. You obviously loved your sister. Don't be ashamed of your emotional responses. You're human. Life is bafflingly painful at times. I wish you all happiness. X
Jessica you are not alone. I lost my brother to cancer 10 years ago and he was big on The Specials and Sublime so I regularly play their songs when I’m thinking about him. It doesn’t always make me cry but it definitely helps me feel like he’s still with me. Big hugs hon and hope it gets better for you ❤️
🌹💐🌹💐
😔
Bless you sweetheart xx keep going Jessica ❤️❤️❤️🤘🏻
I have to study this song as part of my GCSE drama, and let me tell you, I have never been more excited to do work
Good luck
Good luck 👍
Topical!
Is it your stimulus??
Voodoo Reggae.
Remarkable tune, one of the most unforgettable intro's and first few bars. So distinctive, so fresh, melodic perfection. Will never be forgotten and yet we're in 2024 - still as fresh as back then.
This song still sends shivers down my spine. Nothing sums up the despair of that era than this track.
That’s for sure 💯
The tories were in government then same thing today nothing has changed
@@mufccharliemufcglazersout People stay bootlicking though even though the Tories have always been awful for the working class…
...and also this era.
@@mufccharliemufcglazersoutYup because other mainstream political parties have always made things better 🤦🏾
Even an old heavy rocker like me can appreciate just how immense this was! RIP Terry Hall.
You're right man
I'm the very same old now bit was a rocker but loved this tune
Good music is heavy
This hits hard. Terry's music was a large part of my youth. RIP.
I am! 12/26/24! Luv Ska! Greetings from DETROIT! Grew up listening! I'm 54 years young. Still totally jams! 😄😄😎😎
I'm in a state of shock - Terry Hall dead at 63. No age at all. His music formed a major part of my adolescence. RIP
Still gives me chills 42 years later and so relevant even now. RIP Terry Hall.
Looking at most town centres nowadays, it's never been more relevant.
I was going to say the exact thing myself
I sing this song to myself while walking past all of the shut down shops in downtown San Francisco. It’s timeless and universal.
Just discovered this song. I’ll never forget it either. An absolute masterpiece.
Welcome to 1980
Absolute Madness!! Lol love it 😜
@@penguinuprighter6231 Again... lol.
Lucky you imagine you could have never heard the awesomeness of the Specials better late than ever my friend!!
discover more at the playlist against algorithms channel..... We are the reason the music wave was started. Come hang out leave the mainstream by itself to rot.
Quality .... no argument, no debate, just pure quality. RIP Terry Hall.
This World will not be a ghost town because Ghost town will be played forever .. absolute classic what a incredible man Terry Hall.. rest in Peace
Condolences to your band mates your family.. and your many fans around the World 🌎 .. legend
Beautifully put.
True.
Rest in power Terry Hall!
Your music more relevant now than 40 years ago.
Let us stand for our national anthem
Couldn't be any more relevant nowadays. The situation and cause may be different from back then, but the world is more of a ghost town now than ever before.
@@MacaqueStinx Yes, I live in a very small town. This is the song I keep hearing replaying in my mind when I walk up a once busy road
Father ted
ah I see I have found a man of culture
Well put sir!
Literally the only good thing I ever got from MTV. RIP Terry. Thank you for opening my ears 40 years ago
This is probably the most timeless song ever written. As relevant today as is was then. "People getting angry" I truly believe that many of today's issues are because successive governments have left youth, both white and black, on the shelf
Same in Ireland same in most places id say.
@@palhein-reim7430 ?
@@farzanamughal5933 keep it with youth - color does not matter to us - he's wrong to call it race tho, 'cause there is no race with humankind, all the same just some dif and mixed up colors
During covid 19 it looks like they driving during lockdown, clubs closing , people getting angry sounds like 2020 and 2021
@@palhein-reim7430 some might say that's exactly the reason why people don't "shut up" about it.
A hauntingly beautiful sophisticated timeless masterpiece.
Epic masterpiece love the specials !
yes same here so fab
Hola josh!!!you use hyperboles too much
Always
Rest in Peace, Terry. Legend forever.
One Of The Greatest Songs Of One Of The Greatest Bands Of All Time
"Do you remember the good old days/Before the Ghost Town?"
Heard this song back in 1981, just before the major riots took
place around the country. Nearly forty years later, the theme of
this song is an eerie summary of London right now due to the
outbreak of coronavirus. There was hardly anybody about, when
I went out yesterday evening.
Still creepily brilliant after all these years.
Why have you written this like a poem?
The riots were around the Summer 1981 when this song was released
Forget about London, this is COV baby
@@sammiianne5295 Yes, and they were all around the country.
This song is all about Coventry in the 80tees period the band were co Coventry City born and bred most of them were from the ends of hillfields just outside cov City centre consisting of about 12 Tower blocks and a front line strip where I lost many man's friendship to the eco of the gun shots sometimes over nutting and all the old back streets and the bits, so basically it was about the boom town entering the ghost town, me gone🇮🇪🍀🙏
One of the coolest sounding songs ever.
They were brilliant. The soundtrack of my youth. RIP Terry!
I heard this a few weeks ago being played live in Oxford Street. It sounded absolutely amazing! Brought all my childhood back to me. The 80's were magic.
Coventry born and bred it is now a and a shite hole I'm now a foreigner it's terrible
Big changes everywhere … Even in Ireland … class song 💥🌟💥
'80s *
Native English and west Indian rules. Old school 🇬🇧🇯🇲🇯🇲🇬🇧
Growing up in 70's & 80's Britain The Specials defined the era ! what a legend we sadly lost today -RIP Terry Hall ,God needed a divine voice up there !
I just read your comment 😢, it is bittersweet 😊! Thank you, it brought me comfort. I’ve always said I’m a child of the 70’s and 80’s. This is truly one of those unique songs I craved! I love it’s Reggae beat. At time stamp 2:44, the voices remind me of cat voices (if cats could sing). I especially love black cats 🐈⬛ because they are the most beautiful and most lucky! Every Halloween 🎃 👻 I blast this song! You gave me a beautiful vision; Terry Hall in Heaven along with my black cats whom have since passed singing along on Halloween when I still blast this song 🎵!❣️
I’ve been residing in Tulsa Oklahoma for the past three years. Playing this in my car while driving through the frozen-in-Time neighborhoods & condemned relics of Americana combined with urban madness that inspired SE Hinton to write The Outsiders is more chilling than you think.
Yeah that book meant everything to me as my neighborhood was as "greaser" as it gets. Now I'm 53 and i can't escape that feeling.
Is this song known in the US?
Yes, @@omegajrz1269, it was quite popular here at the time, but I believe that most of my fellow Yankees did not really understand it.
@@km6xu Because there are many English bands that went under the radar
How's this not the top comment!!??
Rest in peace Terry Hall. The Specials were an iconic 80s band...no-one else looked or sounded quite like them. Instantly recognisable when their songs came on the radio.
Hey, i m a 70 year old rockabilly player. And i love dat sound. Rock n Roll is da salt o life, Ska is the pepper.
Love that 😂
i have testicular cancer
@@ChadConnor buzzkill
@@ianthomas2289 just wait until you hear about my prostatectomy
I was a fresh-faced 19 when this hit the charts, I'm 60 now. It puts things into perspective how old these songs are, but they were great days for alternative/independent music. So long Terry, thanks for the tunes.
You're so right,a unique sound still iconic. Rest in peace Terry x
Me too and I still have a thin black tie
❤
RIP Terry. Remember hearing this on radio 1 back in the day and it blew my mind and the words are so true especially in today's world.
Will miss you Terry Hall
It's an excellent, timeless haunting song. No matter where you are, at what time, or what political views you have, this song is always suitable as a protest song.
Shut up
@@infamousGSR bruh wtf did he do to you
I agree! This song haunts you.
Joe Biden
I'm sorry could you please explain how this is a song for protest? To me it's just a very accurate depiction of a recession.
my mother passed away recently and another video reminded this of themes she used to play it all the time. Love you so much mom
So sorry about your mother’s death.
RIP Terry. One of THE best things to EVER come out of Coventry, bar none!! Would be fitting for this song to be charting again, not only due to the god awful circumstances of the loss of Terry, but the state of the UK at the moment to be fair.
Ghost Town is a musical masterpiece. Lost for words at the loss of a beautiful human being and a phenomenal musical talent. RIP Terry Hall.
I'm 50 and this still gives me goosebumps.
Literally. 👍
me too Brendan
And a Dead Kennedys fan
Ur not 50
Ur not 50
A fellow DK fan :)
This Town BBC is absolutely brilliant I implore you to watch it. You won’t regret.
I did watch and did regret. Had been promoted as being about the 2 Tone era and failed dismally.
For a nine-year old, this song wholly encapsulated the bleakness of life in Thatcher's Britain.
U are not nine.....just stop lying
@@diamondmax5141 - He was probably 9 when this came out, Ace.
@@islandbee maybe
Diamond Max no, of course he’s not nine, he’s talking about when he WAS nine in “thatcher’s Britain” and the bleakness of life
Diamond Max why do you have to prove a point? Also, he obviously meant when he WAS 9.
This is such a banger. It'll always remind me of older brother, who introduce me to it, when we used to take late night drives through empty roads like these, listening to good music. Good times. Still miss you Marc.
This oldy is so relevant for these days we are megerly surviving and existing in , beings back the good days of my youth . All my mates are dead now and I am a loner . Cheers to you mate and sorry for your loss
@@jasontimothywells9895 Thank you mate. I really appreciate that. Cheers to you too.
Keep on keeping on! YOLO
RIP Terry hall ,,legend and thanks for all the brilliant songs,,you will allways be remembered in your songs ❤️
This track is timeless, scary and spot on.
Every time I hear it, the greatness of this band grows on me.
RIP Terry Hall, this song will always have a special place in my heart and soul!!
RIP TERRY ....FROM ENGLAND...I'm now 62 a part of my youth ..never to be forgotten x
Loved this band..Terry Hall was a talented artist and a good person..he suffered greatly in his youth and still managed to overcome his problems. R.I.P ❤️
I love this song.
You can’t ever stop coming back to the songs you grew up with, because that time has long since gone!
Terry Hall mattered at a time when pop music mattered. And this is one of the greatest pop records of all time.
My god, when Terry sings the bit about " do you remember the good old days".....one of the great moments in pop music. Every time I hear him sing that part it just gives me the chills.
It is a lament for better times and a cry of despair about the present and future postponed-that's what it sounds like to me. The backing vocals also conjure a real sense of angst and foreboding.
Great song but I wouldn't go that far mate. You must've had a very simple life. No disrespect mate.
That’s my favourite bit as well
Booo
This song never stops being relevant.
The best song to come out of my home town Coventry UK The Specials :)
Classic No. 1
One of the most iconic songs ever written. RIP Terry. You absolutely nailed the decimation of Thatcherism in this.
Thatcherism had nothing to do with it. The themes in this song long predated Thatcherism.
Apparently Mrs Thatcher hated this single and was very irritated by it. Makes it even more poignant!
@@rolandrothwell4840 that's completely untrue.
@@myoctobersymphony4446 ha ha really 🤣
@@roadend78 yes really, she already knew about the plight of the inner cities, that's why she spent £10 billion reviving them.
Saw the Specials last night in Brighton. What a performance, such a tight band. Lynville is 70 and still manages to perform his vocals as well as cover for the absent Neville, just brilliant.
Terry's voice was pitch perfect and sounded just the same as the albums over forty years ago, incredible. His dry sense of humour was wonderful too.
Horace's bass lines were a joy.
"Nobody is Special." But they were, Very Special.
We all special ❤️ ain't dat da truth 🤣...I
Just reading of Terry Halls passing. Fun Boy Three /The Specials- sounds of my Youth
RIP Terry Hall RESPECT✌🏼💯
One of the all-time greatest songs. Such a shame that it's as relevant today as it was in 1981. Still, a true work of genius. RIP Terry.
it was very relevant in 2020
not true
When a master piece is written, its never forgotten.
Terribly sad news to wake up to today... RIP Terry. A genuine, caring, loving, and talented person... Thank you for the music, thank you for standing against prejudice, and thank you for opening up about your mental health and helping other people with theirs... You will be missed, but not forgotten.
The riots of Spring and Summer '81 !
This song will definitely stand the test of time forever 😊
RIP Terry, you were a poster boy for being a survivor and turning tragedy into triumph. Condolences to his family, friends, band mates and fans around the world, of which, i am one. Love from Canada 🕯🕯🕯🕯😢
As a truck driver living through COVID as an expendable employee I used to rock this going through downtown Portland with no traffic. Sad to hear the dude died. Very good song very good music. Cheers
IVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THIS SONG SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID HES FUCKING DWEAD
As a teen I grew up listening to ska, reggae & punk from this era. I've always especially loved this track. Idk why it reminds me of the Falkland war & those who didn't get back to they're home town.
God, cant believe it, RIP Terry! The forever iconic sound of my youth and challenges faced! :(
RIP to an absolute legend, Terry Hall, who along with his gifted band members created some of the best hits of the late 70s/early 80s...including this masterpiece.
Its Jamie Davies I live in England I love this song too @matskeden511 and will you be my friend please @matsieden511 please mate?
Masterpiece! You couldn't have stated a more accurate comment.. I loved it then, and now, my youngest girl, now 25, says this song reminds her of me, lol..
Few songs capture the energy and despair of their time and place quite as well as this song does.
"Ghost Town" is a song by the British two-tone band the Specials, released on 12 June 1981.[1] The song spent three weeks at number one and 10 weeks in total in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Addressing themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities, the song is remembered for being a hit at the same time as riots were occurring in British cities.
Thanks. That was interesting.
R-E-W-I-N-D!! Echos of the future!!
Didn't this also get banned by the BBC? I remember seeing something on American news, amazingly enough, about this song and the Police's "Invisible Sun" both being banned from airplay.
@@cubdukat "Invisible Sun" video was banned, not the song
@Chocolate Starfish a did pal copy paste
Who would've thought when this song first came around that it was actually 40 years ahead of its time! RIP Terry 🙏
Wasn't ahead of its time, it was bang on time. Its a shame its still as relevant now as it was then. R.I.P. Terry Hall
@@ttidcoys2310 Fair enough bro but personally I think the song hit its peak in 2020 during lockdown no.1 😷😂
Was he a Christian?
@@matimus100 no he was a terry
The Specials hit it on the head with this tune. Timeless. Play.Rewind.Repeat.
Im 27 and i feel People too scared and self conscious to release music like this now..classics like this are real music just expression and sounds making people dance and ponder what ever is on their mind in the moment
The more time goes by, the more I appreciate the brilliance of The Specials.
Another one of the good guys has departed.
RIP Terry. You will be missed. This record still stands up today, and speaks up for millions across the country.
There is a phrase that has been tossed around way too much and it's generational talent. There are some who deserve that title and there are some who don't, Terry Hall is one of those artists who deserves that title. Rest in peace Terry, your Legend will never die not as long as we're still here to play your music and to tell your stories
💯
What a masterpiece. Just a brilliant song.
This band has done more to combat racism than any government will ever do. RIP Terry Hall
So true.
Best ska band ever and best ska song ever! Who else shares this opinion?
Madness is the best ska, but yes this is one of the best
Yes, they were the best. A friend of mine from the start of the 80s summed it up well, we were teenagers. "Like the Madness image best, like the Specials music best." Honourable mention for the Beat, mind you.
Always wanted Sugg's sunglasses
So random... Always wanted to dance like Chas Smash
orion deschamps
Isn't it a shame that this is STILL relevant 40 years on? One of the greatest songs to remind me that we have not gotten any better off.
I remember during L.A. riots, I was driving home from a commercial shoot north of the city. The curfew was in effect. It was after dark and the sodium vapor lights glowed from all the smoke in air from the fires. I was cruising through north Hollywood back to my apartment. There wasn’t a soul or car on the streets except for national guard. This song came on the radio. I will never forget it. It was creepy eerie and a bit unnerving.
Such great talent, such a great band and such a sad loss… thank you for the music x
Number one for Christmas let's get them to re-release it.
This song is more relevant than ever.
As an irishman, I'm proud of my national anthem
The specials are from Coventry?
@@lucasdarlington4030 it’s a father ted reference
real
The Spin Master!
West Indians and English whites together 🇯🇲🇬🇧🙏🏿
This song and video are becoming legendary...