Song 125 - Word gets around by Stereophonics

Songs are like friends, they grow deeper in meaning the more time you spend with them. Okay so it is the first Friday of the month and it's time for an album. This week's album is Word gets around by Stereophonics. Released in August 1997, it was the band's first album and its songs centre around daily life in Cwmaman, the town they grew up in as a band. Reaching number six in the UK album charts, it is the only album that I know where the final line of the final song ends with the album title.  For me; the album takes me back to university days and the fun of being students, together with a teenage trying to make sense of losing her mum at 16. University definitely opened my world up and fought against the grief that was trying to shut it down. Sorry this is getting deep but some of this songs on this album although really upbeat deal with real issues and I think there is a grittiness to the lyrics that Kelly Jones writes, which appeals to the deeper, more reflective side of me.

They say that the best place to start is the beginning, but that is far too obvious for me; I'm going to start with track 4 of the album because it was the first single to be released by the band. Local Boy in the Photograph was inspired by Paul Boggis, who was killed by a train. I think the line You'll always be 23, yet that train runs on and runs captures an unspoken truth about death that the world always keep going and although things will prevent you from moving forward, the world never stops. It sounds very depressing the song but isn't, the tune and lyrics doesn't have a slow melody, but show captures the fragile nature of life. When the song was first release, it entered the charts at 51 one in 1997, but when it was re-released it reached 14.


The second single released was More Life in a Tramp's Vest and its lyrics take the view point of a local supermarket bag boy. Although this is a good song for me on the album it is sandwiched between other songs that I love so it is one of those songs that I can find myself doing the nodding head to but perhaps don't really listen to as much I should. Like the whole collection of songs; it reflects a character of the area of where the band is from. It reached number 33 on the UK single chart.

It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, it only takes one match to burn a thousand trees is another one of Jones's lyrics that have burnt into my head (although I have now just read that it came straight off a match box). The line comes from the third track to be released A Thousand Tree. It reached number 22 on the UK single chart. The lyrics are about a football coach who ruined his career due to a sexual encounter with a female students. Again, this is another edgy lyrics that touches on the frail nature of life; especially if you are living dangerous and on the fringes of acceptable behaviour.

Fourth single Traffic reached number 20 on the UK chart, but it possibly for me one of the iconic songs  written by the Stereophonics. I think it appeals as the lyrics talk about every day life and as a writer/observer of life, watching people is a key part of the role. To be every observant as the person sitting on the bench watching everybody else carrying on with life. Recently we had a debate at writing group to whether it is lonely to write on your own in coffee shop. For me, at certain times, there is nothing better than to be lost in your own world and being the observer on everything going on around you.

Sometimes, especially with first albums, it is only the singles that  are worth writing home about, but the albums tracks on Word gets around are as stronger as the singles and stay true to the concept of the album; which was about every day life in the town the bad grew up in and the characters. Dealing with subjects like suicide with Billy Davy's daughter; being caught in a small town and everyone knowing your business in Goldfish Bowl, and the characters of the town like Looks Like Chaplin. I urge you to listen to this album in full and enjoy the talents of the Stereophonics.

Here the album in full
Word gets around by Stereophonics

Written by: Kelly Jones, Richard Jones & Stuart Cable
Date released: 25th August 1997