“‘Down in the Tube Station at Midnight’ was the second single taken from the album All Mod Cons by The Jam. Released on 13 October 1978, it reached #15 in the United Kingdom’s Singles Chart on release. The single was backed by a cover version of The Who‘s song ‘So Sad About Us‘, and the song ‘The Night’, written by Bruce Foxton. … The song tells the story of an unnamed narrator travelling on his own who enters a London Underground tube station at midnight to get the last train home, where he is attacked by a gang of skinheads as he buys a ticket from an automated machine. The song starts with the atmospheric sounds of a London Underground station, then a tense, syncopated beat carried by the bass guitar. The lyrics are sentimental, contrasting the warmth of home and domestic life with the dangers of 1970s London’s urban decay and casual late-night violence. Tension is heightened by a heartbeat audio effect in the left stereo channel at points during the song. …”
Wikipedia
Let The Day Begin…Let The Day Start!: Day 308 – All Mod Cons
Genius (Audio)
YouTube: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight (Live), Down In The Tube Station (Live), So Sad About Us, The Night