People Of The Smoke

Album: The Circus And The Nightwhale (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "People Of The Smoke" is a look at London in 1950, the time and place where Steve Hackett was born. It was a few years after World War II; the city was bustling as it furiously rebuilt, but was choked in smog from industrial pollution and exhaust from trains and vehicles.

    "It's very dark," Hackett told Songfacts. "In London you rarely saw the sun in those days, it was so polluted. It seems almost impossible to believe now."
  • This is the first track on The Circus And The Nightwhale, a concept album based on Hackett's life. As the album moves forward, it gets more fanciful and surreal, but "People Of The Smoke" is more literal, reflecting what Hackett calls a "gritty reality."
  • Hackett wrote the song with his wife Jo and with his keyboard player Roger King. He and Jo started writing songs together for Steve's 2015 album Wolflight. Many of the songs they collaborate on are based on travels and experiences they shared together.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary LeVox

Gary LeVoxSongwriter Interviews

On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Tommy James

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.