Original Music #12 - St Kilda Pier

A stroll down memory lane.

I arrived in St Kilda, fresh from the country, early '90s. For a young musician wanting to get on the scene, it was eye-opening to say the least.

Every night I would wander down to the Esplanade hotel (not name-checked in the song) to watch amazing live music.

Pretty soon I had joined Overnight Jones (not name-checked), and soon after that, \creek (name-checked!).

I lived on the name-checked Grey Street, and would often find myself walking home past working girls lining that street. The line "From me they've got nothing to fear" is due to the fact that I had no interest in what they had to offer, little to no money, and was definitely not the kind of clientele that would prowl those streets at that time of night. You know, husbands after a late night at the office.

So, this is an autobiographical stroll through a time and place that is very special to me.

Other places or people that are name-checked in this song are:

Salvo's - the Salvation Army. There was a Salvo's shop on Grey St, and being a broke musician at the time, I would frequent there to find something appropriate for Melbourne's ever-changing weather, as well as being 'fashionable'

Catani Gardens - a beautiful park area near St Kilda beach, featuring palm trees

St Kilda Pier - a pier that juts out into Port Phillip Bay, with a restaurant at the end

Nursery Crimes - a Melbourne band active in the early '90s who did a hardcore version of The Zoot's version of Eleanor Rigby.

The Prince of Wales - one of the musical centres of the universe in Melbourne, just around the corner from the Esplanade Hotel (THE centre of the musical universe)

Here are the lyrics:

Grey Street, 3 a.m., winter 1993
Holey acid-wash and flannelette, a Salvo's coat I got for free.
Saunter past seven working girls, from me they've got nothing to fear
Reach the top of the hill, and home is so near.

Catani Gardens comes alive, early summer '95
From here the water is so clear, meet you at St Kilda Pier.

Over, you're taking me over, you're taking me over
You're taking me home.

In time, to wake up in the sunshine
Listen to the Nursery Crimes,
Practicing with \creek, the gig's next week!
There, sitting on the Prince's stair
Punters filing past don't care
But he used to be a star before, in '84.

Over, you're taking me over, you're taking me over
You're taking me home.