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The Streets

Weak Become Heroes

Label: 679 Recordings Release Date: 05/08/2002

gdobson by Gareth Dobson August 9th, 2002

**Starting off with strings like a Scorsese epic, this tune's probably the standout track from the Mercury Music Award-winning 'Original Pirate Material'. And within seconds the lush piano loop rolls over and over with hypnotic effect and we're away on the trip of our lives. Literally.**

It's the lyrics as always that takes this tune away from an idle exercise in pointless braggadocio or perspective-less nostalgia. They're modern missives from South East London, a microcosm and representation of any inner city life.

Similar to 'Has It Come To This', it's the amalgamation of Rampling-friendly tunage with genuinely touching and incisive lyrics that take it beyond the in-car nod along. "we all smile, we all sing" intones Skinner, with that familiar, warming initial rush of euphoria "_diamonds and pearls, never seen so many fit girls_", and then suddenly it turns. Quicker than the last time, and the time before that, the world returns to the grey, permanent November rain and that grey cast feeling which becomes harder to shake off each time you have a night like this.

"_They could settle wars with this? imagine the worlds leaders on pills_" muses MS, then just as quickly, the flight of fancy is replaced with the cold reality: "_then imagine the morning after, always causing disaster, don't talk to me, I don't know ya_."

Who else could encapsulate the messy, fragmented, paranoid end of a 15 year culture in one verse?

"_Then the girl in the café taps my shoulder, I realise 5 years have gone by and I'm older? but that same piano loops over and over and over? The world stands still as my minds sloshes round the washing up bowl in my crown._"

Genius. Pure and utter.

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