amen to that. watch "wee day out" youtube video of Danny MacAskill if you're not familiar with it--that's how i came across the song. It's amazing and matches the music perfectly.
If it doesn't make you angry you're a moron. This is is the NHS that you twats have been clapping for. This amazing song writer/performer hits nails squarely on the head.
I actually heard this song on a National Express bus going "darn sarth" back in the day and the radio station and/or National Express bleeped it out!......Sense of humour failure.....
Alwsys sing along to it when driving if it comes on the radio - even now I can't get through the whole song without bursting out laughing at some point, the lyrics are bloody hilarious🤣🤣🤣
I'm doing it now, the whole coach just start cheering as soon as it kicked it . Going from Luton Airport to London Victoria, and then Stamford Bridge for the Chelsea vs Wolves game. Ever since this song came out all them years ago, I've always wanted to travel with them, although there's no trolly lady
Because genius is very rarely recognised in it's generation. Barring Wuthering Heights even the great Kate wasn't really big back in the 80s let alone the 90s.
I love the change in tone when he sings "We're going where the air is free, tomorrow belongs to me" such a beautiful melodic line, it gets me everytime. A great band, just love their sardonic and iconic lyrics, with their catchy melodies, we could with more bands like this.
I am going to meet Neil Hannon and say what an absolute legend he is. I have been inside St. Bernard’s Hospital, in Middlesex, myself, in 1981, and this song could have been written for me🎉!!! I love you-Neil Hannon ❤. Up the Irish 🌈🤮👗☘️🍕👍
The thing I remember about travelling with National Express is that as soon as the doors first open, all the old people rush to get on like they're at the Somme going over the top. They'll trample anyone who stands in their way.
As a Canadian, when I first arrived in the UK I '85...I couldn't believe there stewardesses on a bus for my 1st trip from London to Wakefield!....this song always takes me right back there!!!
Every morning I walk to the bus station to catch my bus to work. There’s a National Express coach loading at that hour and I ALWAYS hear this song in my head. It’s quite nice actually.
Neil is part of the wonderful tradition of wordsmiths and music makers that I have grown old with. From Flanders and Swann and Tom Lehrer and including oh so many wonderful talents that unite words, music, wit, sardonic humour and just pure talent.
My brother Anthony was a big fan of travelling on the National Express from Pembroke to London to visit family. Sadly he passed away 2 years ago next month and everything I hear this track I think about him. 🙏
I checked, as so many services haven't resumed. Now the service is via Swansea, where there's a connection to the Swansea via Cardiff only, to London. Doubt he would have been such a fan of this route!
@@gillchatfield3231 hi Gill, thank you for your reply. My late brother left Pembroke then Swansea then onto London to meet up with another brother before heading on to Kettering on the national express regularly up till 2 months before he passed away. Not debating the route it's just he loved traveling on The National Express 😁 hence this track brings back memories.
I don’t smile when I watch this. I laugh so much my ribs hurt. An absolute scream. The funniest record I have ever seen and heard. Just a happy , wonderful song. I always feel good after hearing it.
@@livingiseasywitheyesclosed4553 Well it makes me laugh, and after being in a bad place since losing my dad last September I’ll take any laughs I can get
My 7 year old loves this songs and belts it out as loud as you can imagine and perfectly out of tune haha ffs this world needs to take a long hard look at its self goodness actual f@cking me
This was taken inside of Joyce Green Hospital right by the Dartford crossing, was closed and in-between the closure and all knock down this was made. My wife worked there - originally it was a war hospital, then was a spill over from West Hill hospital. It had horses roaming too and that used to frighten the staff and they waited in their cars. the Hospital moved into a small hospital at Darenth Valley the other side of the M25 (Also known as Death Valley hospital!).
This should be on all the national express adverts and I had many great experiences with national express services. So today I will be going on another coach journey at 11pm. Anything will be better then that 12 hour coach journey from Elubo to Togo/Ghana border overnight journey on an ex-eurolines coach
The eclectic brilliance of 1990s Britpop stems from the intellectual freedom of its songwriters, whose imaginations were fertile enough that they could take inspiration from anything and everything. I'll bet my eyebrows that we never hear some X Factory wannabe singing about National Express coaches, hiding inside a female friend's big sister's wardrobe or being caught by the fuzz while still on a buzz.
@@scottde-walden2760 not sure why you're bringing x factor into it. Whilst the britpop thing was happening so was boyzone, robson and jerome etc shit pop has always been around. trouble is there doesn't seem to be any good guitar bands in the charts anymore. I know people will say 'who cares about the mainstream' but i feel like what is in the charts has an effect on people because you'll hear it everywhere- on tv, on the radio, in the shops etc
I love the "...he's not a bus driver" line at the end, and that whole conversation at the start. Basically saying to the listeners and video viewers "No! It's not about that damn bus/coach company, OK?!!" Haha!
I absolutely adore this song ! Proper feel good, make you smile music, that is always played at FULL volume. "To the family man, manhandling the pram, with paternal pride......" What a line !!!!!
when I was a kid I didn't understand the appeal of this song and it wasn't until I was about 20 , 10 years after it came out I relised how amazing it was.
Take the National Express when your life's in a mess It'll make you smile All human life is here From the feeble old dear to the screaming child From the student who knows that to have one of those Would be suicide To the family man Manhandling the pram with paternal pride And everybody sings, "Ba-ba-ba-da" We're going where the air is free On the National Express there's a jolly hostess Selling crisps and tea She'll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks For a sky-high fee Mini-skirts were in style when she danced down the aisle Back in '63 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) But it's hard to get by when your arse is the size Of a small country And everybody sings, "Ba-ba-ba-da" We're going where the air is free Tomorrow belongs to me When you're sad and feeling blue With nothing better to do Don't just sit there feeling stressed Take a trip on the National Express On the National Express, let's go
Went to see them live a couple of years ago, still absolutely fantastic, what a voice and so creative, they did a cover of where do you go to my lovely by Peter Starsted that sent chills down my spine and followed up with blue Monday by new order as well as all of their hits. Absolutely fantastic live band.
absolutely genius song, so catchy and great lyrics. And then he blows your mind all over again with the video. Layer upon layer of perfection, this is the one, the best music vid ever
I've been in hospital for the past 10 days and they've played a weird selection of music on hospital radio - including this. I couldn't wait to get out and find out more about it. The video is even better. I've travelled on a lot of NX buses (cheaper than the train) and I've seen these people at first hand. I was on a bus many years ago when a young couple got on in Birmingham at almost midnight. The driver wasn't going to let them on because they looked to be out of their skulls and kicked up a stink when he objected to them but they had valid tickets so he had to. Later, I saw them heading towards the toilets at the back with small bags of powder.
The first time I saw The Divine Comedy and this National Express video in particular on the program Planet Rock Profiles (back in 2001)... I was like, wow! It was something I never heard before. Pretty much changed my life and opened me to the world of The Divine Comedy... been a fan ever since. :)
I'm not sure, Leo. The video is obviously a bit of a homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. A film maker's touch to make a richer experience of the song . It just makes me smile. ...Let's Go!
I loved this song as a kid and was very excited to take my very first National Express as a teenager lol. The sheen wore off somewhat in my mid-20s when they put me on the direct coach to Glasgow instead of the one that stopped at Preston. I woke up somewhere near Carlisle and despite pleading, the driver would not let me off, so that was my first visit to Scotland lol
Danny's Wee Day Out brought me here, and just wow... What a delight to "discover" a singer/songwriter you've never once heard of before, who has a couple decades of great stuff waiting to be explored...! I've probably played this on repeat 20-30 times in the last 3 days. Toe-tapping, get-up-and-dance music... Can't wait for the air to be free again!
GENUIS MIX OF LYRICS AND 60'S STYLE BACKING..BOTH MUSICALLY TRIM AND PUTS YOU IN A MOOD FOR BETTER DAYS... THIS IS WHAT MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT.... OH ! DECENT VIDEO TOO..............
One of my favourites of all time... Mind you, took the National Express so many time (Cardiff to Heathrow) never seen a jolly hostess selling crisps and tea...
I consider this to be part of the golden age of music! around the mid 1990's, 1996, 97 and 98. Divine Comedy, Space etc. They were dam good groups. This chap even more so as I understand, if it is true he was on the dole and wrote the whole album hiding away from the world. I just think hes brilliant! the icing on the cake is around this time he also did the music for Father Ted.
