New Town Velocity

Album: The Messenger (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Marr told The Sun how the song was inspired by a memory he had from his teens when he decided to ditch school. "I was at the bus stop with Angie, my girlfriend, who's now my wife," he recalled. "I was deciding whether to go into school that day or not. I was a terrible truant but I decided to never go back again. I walked around town feeling like the world was in my hands and that I had the potential to be who I wanted to be."
  • This song provides an autobiographical peek into Marr's early life, recreating the day when he decided to leave school forever. He told NME: "It's autobiographical. It's about reconnecting with the feelings I had growing up, the ones that shape you. It was the last thing I did for the record, and I wanted something with a dreamy aspect, because the rest of the record is so banging. It reminded me of the hazy summer morning at 15 when I decided to not ever go back to school."
  • Marr explained to Mojo: "That was a last minute addition. I felt the picture I wanted to create of myself was incomplete. It needed something else, the idea of… romantic idealism."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.