Hymn From A Village was the lead track on the James II single in 1985 and the subsequent Village Fire EP compilation of their first two Factory singles.
It also features on the band’s 1998 Best Of, the only song from the pre-Mercury era to feature on the record.
A live version recorded at Manchester Apollo in 1989 appears as a b-side to the How Was It For You? single in 1990. A Glastonbury 1990 BBC recording features on the live disc of The Gathering Sound boxset from 2012 and it also features on the Getting Away With Live CD released in 2002 and recorded at Manchester Arena on their December 2001 farewell tour.
Hymn From A Village was featured along with Stutter on the 1982 demo circulated to record companies and was first aired to a mass audience in a 1983 Peel Session. An even earlier version entitled Say It With Flowers appeared on the studio disc of The Gathering Sound boxset in 2012.
Its lyrics take a swipe at the weak lyrical content of his contemporaries.
It was also the track that convinced Larry that his guitar students did have a special talent and that he should join the band. In the 1991 tour programme, Jim named it as the one James song that he would want to survive if all but one were accidentally erased.
It was remastered for the Factory Palatine collection in 1992 and was released on a four track sampler with Cath Carroll, Marcel King and Joy Division. As copies of it “were selling for a hundred pounds” (quote Saul Davies ermmm), it was included as the final track of the Best Of.
It has featured regularly in live sets since the band reformed in 2007.
Details
Cosmetic music, powderpuff
Pop tunes, false rhymes, all lightweight bluffs
Second-hand ideas, no soul, no hate
Wasn't mean to be
Built on complacency
The nightmares ride away
When you refuse to play
Oh go and read a book
It's so much more worth while
Being a song-smith crook
Study death in style
Death in style
This language used is all worn out
A walking corpse that won't play dead
Disease dragged on from bed to bed
Pay for your twist, paid for shout
Wasn't meant to be
Built on complacency
Open your eyes and see
That lie is not for we
Raise a rope and a knife
Cut it out - the lie
I don't want to decay
Take the short cut away
Oh go and read a book
It's so much more worthwhile
Being a song-smith crook
Study death in style
Study death in style
Heard you calling through the drumbeat
Answered with sticks and bones
Scream, shout, and dance about the campfire
You can hear the question, can you feel the reply?
Heard you calling through the drumbeat
Heard you calling through the drumbeat
Can you hear the question, feel the reply?
Can you hear the question, feel the reply?
Hymn from a village
The hymn from a village
Song: | Hymn From A Village |
Released: | 1st February 1985 |
Main Associated Album (or Single): | James II EP |
First Heard Live: | Unknown Venue – 22nd November 1982 |
- James II EP :Studio, EP, 1985
- Village Fire – Five Offerings From James EP :Compilation, EP, 1985
- How Was It For You? :Studio, Single, 1990
- Palatine – The Factory Story 1979 – 1990 (Boxset) :Compilation (non James), Album, 1991
- The Beat Groups :Compilation (non James), Album, 1991
- Palatine – The Factory Story – The Single :Compilation (non James), Single, 1991
- The Best Of James (promo) :Promo, Album, 1998
- Best Of Promo CD JIM BEST 01 :Compilation, Album, 1998
- The Best Of / Unhinged :Compilation, Album, 1998
- The Best Of (USA) :Studio, Album, 1998
- Getting Away With It… Live (UK promo) :Promo, Album, 2002
- Getting Away With It… Live :Live, Album, 2002
- Fresh As A Daisy (Reference CD) :Promo, Album, 2007
- Fresh As A Daisy – The Singles :Compilation, Album, 2007
- Factory Records: Communications 1978-1992 :Compilation (non James), Album, 2009
- The Gathering Sound (full promo) :Promo, Box Set, 2012
- The Gathering Sound :Compilation, Box Set, 2012
- Be Opened By The Wonderful :Studio, Album, 2023
- Nottingham Royal Centre – 25th October 2023
- London Crystal Palace Bowl – 11th August 2023
- Darlington Arena – 5th August 2023
- Athens The Odeon Of Herodes Atticus – 10th July 2023
- Halifax Piece Hall – 7th July 2023
- Liverpool Pier Head – 2nd July 2023
- Wolverhampton Civic Hall – 20th June 2023
- London Royal Albert Hall – 17th May 2023
- Manchester Apollo – 10th May 2023
- Manchester Apollo – 9th May 2023
- Liverpool Philharmonic Hall – 7th May 2023
- Birmingham Symphony Hall – 5th May 2023
- Sheffield City Hall – 4th May 2023
- Newcastle City Hall – 2nd May 2023
- Glasgow SEC Armadillo – 1st May 2023
- Edinburgh Usher Hall – 29th April 2023
- York Barbican – 28th April 2023
- Cardiff St David’s Hall – 26th April 2023
- Brighton The Dome – 25th April 2023
- Manchester Castlefield Bowl – 2nd July 2022
- Warrington Parr Hall – 29th June 2022
- Lisbon Campo Pequeno – 22nd April 2022
- Porto Super Bock Arena (Pavilhão Rosa Mota) – 21st April 2022
- London The SSE Arena Wembley – 4th December 2021
- Manchester AO Arena – 3rd December 2021
- Dublin 3arena – 1st December 2021
- Glasgow The SSE Hydro – 30th November 2021
- Cardiff Motorpoint Arena – 28th November 2021
- Birmingham Utilita Arena – 26th November 2021
- Leeds First Direct Arena – 25th November 2021
- Wolverhampton KK Steel Mill – 23rd November 2021
- Llandudno Venue Cymru – 16th May 2018
- Newcastle Times Square – 29th July 2017
- London Kew Gardens – 15th July 2017
- Manchester Castlefield Bowl – 7th July 2017
- Leicester O2 Academy – 5th July 2017
- Sheffield O2 Academy – 9th December 2016
- Scarborough Open Air Theatre – 22nd May 2015
- Birmingham NIA – 22nd November 2014
- London Brixton Academy – 21st November 2014
- Newcastle O2 Academy – 17th November 2014
- Glasgow Hydro – 15th November 2014
- Liverpool Echo Arena – 14th November 2014
- Oxford O2 Academy – 10th November 2014
- New York Webster Hall – 21st October 2014
- BBC Maida Vale Studios – 10th October 2014
- Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle – 1st August 2014
- Latitude Festival, Southwold – 20th July 2014
- Mares Vivas Festival, Porto, Portugal – 18th July 2014
- Athens Theatro Vrachon – 15th July 2014
- Manchester Castlefield Bowl – 11th July 2014
- Margate Quex Park Sound Island Festival – 28th July 2012
- Club Niceto, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 2nd May 2012
- London Royal Albert Hall – 4th November 2011
- Gateshead Sage – 2nd November 2011
- Manchester Bridgewater Hall – 1st November 2011
- Manchester Bridgewater Hall – 31st October 2011
- Liverpool Philharmonic – 29th October 2011
- Liverpool Philharmonic – 28th October 2011
- Nottingham Royal Centre – 27th October 2011
- Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – 25th October 2011
- Birmingham Symphony Hall – 24th October 2011
- Cardiff Millennium Centre – 23rd October 2011
- Cavfest, Didsbury – 17th September 2011
- San Francisco Regency Ballroom – 11th October 2010
- Seattle Showbox At The Market – 9th October 2010
- Chicago Vic Theatre – 2nd October 2010
- Washington 9.30 Club – 27th September 2010
- Philadelphia Trocadero – 24th September 2010
- Bingley Music Live – 4th September 2010
- Liverpool University – 17th April 2010
- London Royal Albert Hall – 16th April 2010
- Bristol Colston Hall – 15th April 2010
- Bournemouth Academy – 13th April 2010
- Southend Cliffs Pavilion – 12th April 2010
- Cambridge Corn Exchange – 10th April 2010
- Preston Guildhall – 9th April 2010
- Sheffield Academy – 8th April 2010
- Newcastle Academy – 6th April 2010
- Edinburgh Corn Exchange – 5th April 2010
- Manchester MEN Arena (vs Cancer) – 12th December 2009
- Manchester Central (G-Mex) – 20th December 2008
- Manchester MEN Arena – 28th April 2007
- London Brixton Academy – 26th April 2007
- Birmingham Academy – 24th April 2007
- London Wembley Arena – 10th December 2001
- Manchester Arena – 7th December 2001
- Newcastle Telewest Arena – 4th December 2001
- Alton Towers – 4th July 1992
- Milan City Square – 5th May 1992
- Chicago Cabaret Metro – 13th March 1992
- Rennes Transmusicalles – 7th December 1991
- Glasgow Barrowlands – 6th November 1991
- Cambridge Corn Exchange – 29th October 1991
- London Brixton Academy – 25th October 1991
- London Borderline – 24th October 1991
- Oxford Apollo – 20th October 1991
- Nottingham Royal Concert Hall – 8th October 1991
- Reading Festival – 24th August 1991
- London Camden Underworld – 14th August 1991
- Seinajoki Festival – 8th June 1991
- Paris Le Zenith – 16th February 1991
- London Brixton Academy – 6th December 1990
- Paris La Cigale – 18th October 1990
- Blackpool Empress Ballroom – 4th August 1990
- Blackpool Empress Ballroom – 3rd August 1990
- Glastonbury Festival – 23rd June 1990
- London Kilburn National – 19th June 1990
- Liverpool Royal Court – 15th June 1990
- Sheffield University – 14th June 1990
- Bristol Studio – 10th June 1990
- Exeter University – 9th June 1990
- Hull City Hall – 8th June 1990
- Lancaster University – 6th June 1990
- Glasgow Barrowlands – 5th June 1990
- St Andrew’s University – 4th June 1990
- Brighton The Event – 14th May 1990
- Cambridge Corn Exchange – 13th May 1990
- Manchester Apollo – 4th December 1989
- Nottingham Trent Polytechnic – 2nd December 1989
- London Town And Country Club – 28th November 1989
- Liverpool University – 25th November 1989
- Edinburgh Carlton – 17th November 1989
- Bradford Futurama Festival – 1st October 1989
- Paris La Cigale – 30th October 1988
- London Astoria – 27th October 1988
- Liverpool Polytechnic – 20th October 1988
- Stirling University – 16th October 1988
- Aberdeen The Venue – 14th October 1988
- Manchester Ritz – 11th October 1988
- Manchester International 2 – 30th May 1988
- Manchester Ritz – 12th April 1988
- London Town And Country Club – 10th April 1988
- Birmingham University – 3rd October 1987
- London Astoria – 2nd October 1987
- Manchester Green Rooms – 10th August 1987
- Manchester Green Rooms – 9th August 1987
- Birmingham Burberries – 28th July 1987
- Sheffield University – 28th May 1987
- Sunderland Poly – 15th May 1987
- London ULU – 9th January 1987
- Frankfurt Batschkapp – 20th November 1986
- Cologne Luxor – 17th November 1986
- Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre – 9th November 1986
- Birmingham Burberries – 4th November 1986
- London ICA – 11th October 1986
- London ICA – 8th October 1986
- Edinburgh Hoochie Coochie – 15th August 1986
- Manchester PSV Club – 15th July 1986
- London LSE – 26th June 1986
- Leeds Ritzy – 24th June 1986
- London Porchester Hall – 27th March 1986
- Glastonbury Festival – 23rd June 1985
- London Hammersmith Riverside – 12th May 1985
- Bradford St George’s Hall – 28th March 1985
- Sheffield City Hall – 22nd March 1985
- Bournemouth Town Hall – 2nd December 1983
- London Brixton Academy – 1st December 1983
- BBC Radio 1 John Peel – 17th October 1983
- Unknown Venue – 22nd November 1982
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