Born James Alan Hull in Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne on 20th February1945, he became a member of the band The Chosen Few alongside keyboard player Mick Gallagher in 1962. He supported himself one year by working as a nurse at a mental hospital while appearing as a folk singer and guitarist in local clubs before helping to form Brethren and Downtown Faction, which evolved into Lindisfarne in 1970. He also released a one-off solo single, "We Can Swing Together", which was re-recorded with the group on their first album, Nicely Out of Tune, and became a regular favourite in their stage performances.
As the group's most prolific songwriter and joint lead vocalist, Hull came to be regarded as its leader. In 1972, dissatisfied with the sound and critical reception of their third album Dingly Dell, he considered leaving the group, but instead he and joint lead vocalist Ray "Jacka" Jackson formed a new six-piece Lindisfarne the following year, leaving the three other original members to form Jack the Lad. He also released a first solo album, Pipedream, in the same year, and published a book of poems, Mocking Horse.
Lindisfarne disbanded in 1975, and Hull released a second solo album, Squire, then formed the short-lived Radiator, which also included drummer Ray Laidlaw of Lindisfarne and Jack the Lad. At the end of 1977 the original line-up of Lindisfarne reformed after a well-received Christmas show at the Newcastle City Hall which was broadcast on local radio. Thereafter he combined his musical career as front man of the group with a solo career. He was also a staunch Labour Party activist.
In 1994, he recorded Back to Basics, a live all-acoustic survey of the best of his songwriting from 1970 onwards. On 17th November 1995 whilst working on a new album, Statues & Liberties, Hull died suddenly of a heart thrombosis, at the age of fifty.
All Fall Down
Alan Hull Lyrics
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Councillors, magistrates, men of renown
Who needs to live in a dirty old town
Yes go on, tear it down.
Who need the trees and the flowers to grow ?
We can have a motorway with motorway dough
Tear them down, mess them 'round
Make a mockery of all of the ground
And if you ever have a sleepless night
Just count out your money, it'll be alright.
Politicians, planners, go look what you done
Your madness is making a machine of everyone
But one day the machine might turn on.
We'll tear you down, mess you 'round
And bury you deep under the ground
And we'll dance on your graves till the flowers return
And the trees tell us secrets that took ages to learn.
We'll tear you down, mess you 'round
Bury you deep under the ground
And we'll dance on your graves till the flowers return
And the trees tell us secrets that took ages to learn
We'll tear you down.
Alan Hull’s song “All Fall Down” is a musical commentary on the destructive effects of urban development on the natural environment. The opening lines of the song set the tone for this critical commentary by highlighting the disregard for nature by those in power. The use of the term “dirty old town” suggests both the physical uncleanliness of cities, as well as the moral decay that such unchecked urbanisation can cause. Hull then goes on to provide examples of this disregard, stating that even trees and flowers are being sacrificed in order to make way for motorways and the economic gains they provide.
The chorus of the song is both bleak and ironic. Hull suggests that if someone is feeling troubled by the destruction of nature around them, they need only count their money to feel better. This is a damning indictment of the capitalist values that he sees as driving this destruction. The second half of the song takes on a more aggressive tone, with Hull threatening to turn the machines of urbanisation against those responsible for it. In particular, he takes aim at politicians and planners, who he blames for prioritising profit over the environment. He ends the song with a dark promise to bury them all and dance on their graves until nature eventually returns.
Overall, “All Fall Down” is a powerful critique of the costs of unchecked urbanisation. Hull suggests that the short-term economic gains of urban development will ultimately come at the cost of our environment, and that those responsible for this destruction will eventually face the consequences of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Councillors, magistrates, men of renown
The people with power and status, who are respected or famous
Who needs to live in a dirty old town
Who wants to live in a place that is run down and unpleasant
Yes go on, tear it down.
Destroy the town, it doesn't matter
Who need the trees and the flowers to grow ?
Who cares if nature is destroyed and replaced by man-made structures
We can have a motorway with motorway dough
We can use the money to build roads instead of preserving nature
I know, I know, I know, they've got to go.
I understand that nature will be destroyed and lost forever
Tear them down, mess them 'round
Destroy nature and treat it disrespectfully
Make a mockery of all of the ground
Turn nature into a joke
And if you ever have a sleepless night
If you feel guilty for your actions
Just count out your money, it'll be alright.
Just focus on your wealth and you'll feel better
Politicians, planners, go look what you done
The people in charge who made these decisions should be held accountable
Your madness is making a machine of everyone
Your actions are turning people into robotic beings who follow blindly
But one day the machine might turn on.
One day people might rebel against those in power
We'll tear you down, mess you 'round
People will get revenge and treat the powerful with disrespect
And bury you deep under the ground
The powerful will be destroyed and forgotten
And we'll dance on your graves till the flowers return
People will enjoy the return of nature while celebrating the downfall of the powerful
And the trees tell us secrets that took ages to learn.
Nature holds secrets that are not yet understood
We'll tear you down.
The destruction and revenge will continue
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.