Life in a Northern Town by The Dream Academy

"Life in a Northern Town" is a song by British group The Dream Academy. The song is the lead single from their debut studio album The Dream Academy, released in 1985. The song was written as an elegy to British folk musician Nick Drake, who died in 1974, and the single's record sleeve includes a dedication to him. The song was written by band members Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel, and was produced by Laird-Clowes and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. The single reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1986. It is the band’s highest-peaking chart single in the United States, the UK, and Ireland.