Ghost Town – English Lyrics

• By: The Specials

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the social commentary of The Specials' iconic hit, "Ghost Town," and understand the haunting portrayal of a nation in crisis. Discover the historical context, musical influences, and lyrical depth that made this song a powerful reflection of 1980s Britain, offering insights into the ska and 2 Tone movements while exploring themes of urban decay and social struggle.

[English]

This town is coming like a ghost town

All the clubs have been closed down

This place is coming like a ghost town

Bands won't play no more

Too much fighting on the dance floor

...

...

Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?

We danced and sang as the music played in any boomtown

...

This town is coming like a ghost town

Why must the youth fight against themselves?

...

Government leaving the youth on the shelf

This place is coming like a ghost town

No job to be found in this country

Can't go on no more

The people getting angry

...

This town is coming like a ghost town

This town is coming like a ghost town

This town is coming like a ghost town

This town is coming like a ghost town

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - a populated place, typically smaller than a city
ghost /ɡoʊst/ B1	noun - the spirit of a dead person adjective - resembling or characteristic of a ghost.
clubs /klʌbz/ A2	noun - establishments that are open late at night, providing music, dancing, and alcoholic drinks
closed /kloʊzd/ A2	adjective - not open
bands /bændz/ A2	noun - groups of musicians
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to perform music
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ B1	noun - violent physical conflict
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music
floor /flɔːr/ A1	noun - the surface of a room
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality
days /deɪz/ A1	noun - periods of 24 hours
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
boomtown /ˈbuːmtaʊn/ B2	noun - a town undergoing rapid growth due to sudden prosperity
youth /juːθ/ B1	noun - the period between childhood and adult age
government /ˈɡʌvərnmənt/ B1	noun - the governing body of a nation, state, or community
job /dʒɒb/ A1	noun - a paid position of employment
found /faʊnd/ A1	verb - past tense of 'find'
country /ˈkʌntri/ A1	noun - a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
angry /ˈæŋɡri/ A2	adjective - feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility

Key Grammar Structures

• This town is coming like a ghost town

  ➔ Present Continuous used to describe a gradual change or trend (be + coming)

  ➔ The use of "is coming like" suggests a gradual transformation of the town into something resembling a ghost town. It emphasizes the process rather than a sudden state.

• All the clubs have been closed down

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive (have/has been + past participle)

  ➔ The use of the present perfect passive indicates that the clubs were closed at some point in the past, and the result of that action continues to be relevant in the present.

• Bands won't play no more

  ➔ Double Negative (non-standard English). Should be "Bands won't play anymore" or "Bands will not play anymore"

  ➔ The double negative "won't play no more" is grammatically incorrect in standard English, but it's used here for emphasis and to reflect a specific dialect or register, potentially highlighting the bleakness of the situation.

• Too much fighting on the dance floor

  ➔ "Too much" + uncountable noun

  ➔ "Fighting" is an uncountable noun here, referring to the general concept of conflict, hence "too much" is used correctly.

• Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?

  ➔ Question formation with auxiliary verb "do" in Simple Past

  ➔ The question uses "do" as an auxiliary verb because "remember" is a main verb. This is the standard way to form questions in the simple past tense in English.

• Why must the youth fight against themselves?

  ➔ Modal verb "must" expressing necessity or obligation in a rhetorical question

  ➔ Here, "must" doesn't literally mean they are obliged to fight. It expresses bewilderment and condemnation that they are doing so. The question is rhetorical; the speaker isn't expecting an answer.

• Government leaving the youth on the shelf

  ➔ Present Participle clause acting as a noun modifier/reduced relative clause (Government which is leaving)

  ➔ "Leaving" modifies "Government," describing what the government is doing. It's a more concise way of saying "The Government that is leaving the youth..."

• No job to be found in this country

  ➔ Passive infinitive "to be found" after a noun. Function: Adjective (to describe the lack of job)

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to be found" describes the characteristic of the job; it emphasizes that no job can be located. Equivalent to “No job that can be found”.