A Salvation Army band played and the children drank lemonade
And the morning lasted all day, all day
And through an open window came like Sinatra in a younger day
Pushing the town away, away

Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
Life in a northern town
Hey, ma, ma, ma, ma

They sat on the stony ground and he took a cigarette out
And everyone else came down to listen
It was the winter 1963, it felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy and the Beatles, yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
Life in a northern town
Hey, ma, ma, ma, ma

Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
They shut the factory down
Hey, ma, ma, ma, ma

The evening had turned to rain, watched the water roll down the drain
As they followed him down to the station
And he would never wave goodbye, you could see it written in his eyes
As the train pulled out of sight, bye, bye
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
Life in a northern town
Hey, ma ma ma, take it easy on yourself

Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
Life in a northern town
Hey, ma, ma, ma, ma

Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
Life in a northern town
Hey, ma, ma, ma, ma

Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, into the night
Hey, ah, ma, ma, ma, hey, ah
Life in a northern town
Hey, ma, ma, ma, ma