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