Songfacts®:

• This is the third single from Mayhem, the third studio album by the Irish singer Imelda May. An alternative version was also recorded in New York with Velvet Underground icon Lou Reed.
• Lyrically, the song is autobiographical and describes May's experiences of living in the Kentish Town area in north London and the domestic struggles she endured with her husband, Darrel Higham, while residing there. She recalled to The Sun: "We were badly broke and the bailiffs were knocking on the door but we were mad about each other so got through it."
• May told Spinner UK that the version recorded with Lou Reed came about through producer Tony Visconti. She recalled the recording with the Velvet Underground legend: "I don't know how it came about. I just know Tony heard the album and came to us. And it wasn't some big, 'Let's get somebody famous on the album,' because the album was already made. I caught a flight to New York for four hours to re-record 'Kentish Town Waltz.' Tony Visconti played it to Lou Reed once and he said, 'Yeah,' and then Tony did some fantastic string arrangements on it and then [Lou] came over.It was a very good day. We got on well, eventually. He can be very prickly! And I had to tell him what to do. I'm a big fan of Lou Reed's. I was very respectful. I said, 'Thank you for coming here,' and then he kind of blankly said, 'Who did the strings on this?' Tony said, 'I did,' and then he said, 'Who wrote this?' And I said I did. And then he went 'Ooooooooh.' Then we got on like a house on fire, so it changed things around. Then I had to ask him to do stuff, because it was my song and, apart from that, I produce my own albums and needed to direct him what I wanted him to sing. I would just shyly say, 'Could you just ... that line after there ... And…' And then he was just like, 'Suuuuure! It's your song. I'll do whatever you want!' And I was, like, 'Wow!' So we messed around and laughed around a bit. Yeah, it was terrific."