While only a minor hit on the charts, this mod/punk number is well remembered for serving as England's first introduction to singer/guitarist and Jam songwriter Paul Weller. The song's #40 chart position when the song was first released marked the beginning of his band's streak of 18 consecutive Top 40 singles. After their breakup in 1982, Weller would continue to notch up chart entries well into the 21st century firstly with Style Council, then under his own name. Weller was only 18 when he penned this celebration of youth in the big city.
The single has the particular distinction of reaching the UK Top 50 on four different occasions. The song originally peaked at #40, then when "Going Underground" became the group's first #1 single three years later, Polydor decided to re-issue all nine of the group's prior singles and "City" was the only one to make the Top 40 again, peaking at #40 for a second time. After the group's breakup at the end of 1982, the record company re-issued every single of the band's career in early 1983 and this time "City" peaked at #47. Finally, in May 2002, Polydor decided to commemorate the 25th anniversary of The Jam by re-releasing their debut single in its original packaging, in its original 7" vinyl record format, and at its original price of 75 pence. The limited pressing sold out immediately, this time peaking at #36, higher than it ever did in its original release and two subsequent reissues.
Paul Weller recalled the penning of the song to Mojo in 2015: "We had a different sort of birth to a lot of the bands, our contemporaries of that time. Because we'd been playing for five years – pubs and working men's clubs and anywhere that would have us really. I'd been plating since I was 14, sort of semi-pro if you like. So I never got the thing about not turning your guitar." "I wrote this after I'd seen the Pistols and The Clash and I was obviously into my Who phrase. I just wanted to capture some of that excitement." "It was a big tune for us. We'd open our set with it, we'd probably play it at the end and if we could get an encore, we'd play it again. The reaction it got from the audience, we knew it was a big tune." "I'm not sure about some of the lyrics in … I was 17, 18 man. But it was a good youth anthem, I thought."
But whenever I approach you, you make me look a fool
I wanna say, I wanna tell you
About the young ideas
But you turn them into fears
In the city there's a thousand faces all shining bright
And those golden faces are under 25
They wanna say, they gonna tell ya
About the young idea
You better listen now you've said your bit-a
And I know what you're thinking
You're sick of that kind of crap
But you'd better listen man
Because the kids know where it's at
In the city there's a thousand men in uniforms
And I've heard they now have the right to kill a man
We wanna say, we gonna tell ya
About the young idea
And if it don't work, at least we still tried
In the city, in the city
In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you
Paul Weller recalled writing this song to Q magazine April 2011: "It was the sound of young Woking, if not London, a song about trying to break out of suburbia. As far as we were concerned, the city was where it was all happening; the clubs, the gigs, the music, the music. I was probably 18, so it was a young man's song, a suburbanite dreaming of the delights of London and the excitement of the city. It was an exciting time to be alive. London was coming out of its post-hippy days and there was a new generation taking over. The song captured that wide-eyed innocence of coming out of a very small community and entering a wider world, seeing all the bands, meeting people, going to the clubs, and the freedom that it held." The song's descending opening bassline re-appeared a few months later on the Sex Pistols' single "Holidays in The Sun." Weller subsequently had a scrap with Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in the Speakeasy Club over the pilfering of the riff. The bible reading this morning has a "City" feel to it. Taken from Jeremiah chapter 29 we find a promise of peace and prosperity.
The prophet Jeremiah began his ministry in Jerusalem around 627 and saw it fall to Nebuchadnezzar in 597. At the beginning of Jeremiah’s prophesies Josiah was the king. Josiah had purified the current worship practices by removing the sacred shrines and sacrifices. He made Jerusalem the center of sacrificial practices. Josiah’s reign was relatively peaceful, but he became involved in a war with Egypt resulting in his death. Jerusalem rapidly deteriorated with a quick turnover of kings and the continued rise of Babylon. The Babylonian exile occurred after the fall of Jerusalem. Chapter 29 of Jeremiah is termed aletter to the exiles. Jeremiah goes against the prevailing opinion, telling the exiles they need to settle down in Babylon for a long stay. The book of consolation, chapters 30-33, says that the people are experiencing exile and contains the promise that they will be restored to the land of Judah. At that time, God will make a new covenant with them which will be written on their hearts. Jeremiah prophesies that they will never be overthrown again.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jer. 29:7). Those in exile should not expect an early return to their homeland despite what other prophets are saying. They should settle down where they are, making a life for themselves in Babylon. They need to know that God is present with them in exile. They can expect to return after seventy years (Jer 29:10). They not only need to settle down, they need to seek the welfare of the Babylonian city in which they are living. They should to pray on its behalf, because the welfare of exiles and captors is bound together. Walter Brueggeman writes about this passage. “It’s a shocking decree. The slavers were commanded to pray for their captors; to seek the welfare of this foreign city; to invest in real estate and engage in commerce in a land wholly unfamiliar and hostile toward them. It’s unfathomable to think about life as the enslaved cheering for my enslaver. If God commanded Israel to invest in the welfare of their captive city, it makes me wonder how much he desires for us to love, cherish and invest in our neighbourhoods, cities which are far from hostile.”
How are we to live in the city? There are several approaches. The first is the rabbit approach. The rabbit stays in its burrow to avoid danger. It pops its head out, sees that the coast is clear, and then hurriedly runs to get some food before quickly returning to its safe haven. This approach sees the city as full of evil, and one must avoid it as much as possible.
The second approach is the chameleon. A chameleon is able to adapt its skin color according to the situation, hence is able to hide. This approach to the city is not prophetic, but simply desires to fit in with the local surroundings.
Neither of these approaches—avoiding or totally blending in—is helpful. I prefer to think a better way is engaging the city, like a pet dog. A dog moves about, meetings its needs, but also helping. A dog can fetch your paper, play Frisbee with you, and protect you from thieves. The dog approach is one that sees problems and tries to address them. But a dog is not so conformed by the city that its essential nature is lost.
There are basically three English translations of a key phrase in this verse. The King James Version says “seek the peace of the city.” The New International Version and the English Standard Version say “seek the peace and prosperity of the city,” and the New Revised Standard Version is “Seek the welfare of the city.” Obviously, the later translations are trying to get at the meaning of shalom because the English word ‘peace’ has become so watered down in the last four hundred years since King James sponsored his translation. We usually think of shalom as an expression for peace. The meaning of shalom goes farther. It means wholeness and health. Shalom refers to the internal peace we have in our soul, spirit, and body. But shalom is even more than that. It applies to our relationships at work and to our relationship with nature and creation. As one author wrote, “To have shalom is to be whole and healthy in yourself and in all that challenges you, be it people, be it the issues of your world, your environment, your society, or be it the problems which are at hand, the problems which await you.”
In current missiological terms, to seek the welfare of the city—to seek the shalom of the city—is described as community transformation. The goal of community transformation is: 1) to restore people to a full expression of their humanness as made in the image of God; 2) to promote trusting, reconciled and just relationships with people; 3) to form communities that have a shared vision, a sense of community; 4) to create new institutions and restore existing systems and structures; and 5) to seek God in all that we are and do, so that God’s kingdom and glory may become more present on earth as it is in heaven.
It is fitting to close with another verse from the book of Jeremiah as we seek the welfare of the city. Jeremiah quotes from the Lord in chapter 22, verse 16, “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.” Now, let me read the entire verse, because the last bit is super important. “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.” If we truly want to know God, we need to defend the cause of the poor and needy. For those of us who spend so much time in the Word, so much time in reading and worship and studying in our attempts to better get to know God, we dare not forget the poor and the needy. It is their welfare we seek, for as the Lord later reminded us, “In so much as you have done it to the least of these; you have done it to me” (Mt 25:45).
All the devotions this week will be on the theme of living in "THE CITY"
"In The City" by The Jam was about a new generation who had thoughts about where they live. the song portrays things in thousands - "A Thousand Things" "A Thousand Bright Faces" "A Thousand Men in Uniform" and captures a new Idea, a new thing that is emerging in the Urban landscape. This too is what was going on in Jeremiah - God was doing a new thing for the people of God they were to seek SHALOM where they were. May I encourage you to see the welfare of those around you today.
All the devotions this week will be on the theme of living in "THE CITY"
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