Up the 'Pool

Album: Living In The Past (1971)
Play Video
  • I'm going up the 'Pool
    From down the smoke below
    To taste me mum's jam sarnies
    And see our Aunty Flo.
    The candy floss salesman
    Watches ladies in then sand
    Down for a freaky weekend in the hope
    That they'll be meeting Mr. Universe.
    The iron tower smiles down upon the silver sea
    And along the Golden Mile
    They'll be swigging mugs of tea.
    The politicians there,
    Who've come to take the air,
    While posing for the daily press
    Will look around and blame
    The mess on Edward Pier.

    There'll be buckets, spades and bingo,
    Cockles, mussels, rainy days,
    Seaweed and sand castles, icy waves,
    Deck chairs, rubber dinghies,
    Old vests, braces dangling down,
    A suntanned stranded starfish in a daze.

    I'm going up the 'Pool
    From down the smoke below
    To taste me mum's jam sarnies
    And see our Aunty Flo.
    The candy flosses salesman
    Watches ladies in then sand
    Down for a freaky weekend
    In the hope that
    They'll be meeting Mr. Universe.

    There'll be buckets, spades and bingo,
    Cockles, mussels, rainy days,
    Seaweed and sand castles, icy waves,
    Deck chairs, rubber dinghies,
    Old vests, braces dangling down,
    A suntanned stranded starfish in a daze.
    Oh, Blackpool,
    Oh, Blackpool. Writer/s: IAN ANDERSON
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 3

  • Gordon Jackson from Dear Old BlightySubourbon from Southern Cal: LOL.
  • Craig from CaliforniaThe opening lines can be somewhat cryptic if you don't know your British slang. "I'm going up the pool" (going up to Blackpool) "from down the smoke below" (from London, known as "the smoke") "to taste my mum's jam sarnies" (jam sandwiches). "Candyfloss" is the British name for cotton candy.
  • Subourbon from Southern CalIt occurred to me today that Ian here is singing about Arnold Schwarzenegger! At the time this song was written, he had won Mr. Universe competition three times, and once as an amateur (1967-1970). That has to be who he is referring to.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Fire On The Stage

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.