To celebrate Tom Robinson’s 8 week run on @amazingradio starting this Saturday I thought I’d go to the archives with this track from his album “War Baby – Hope And Glory”.
A collaboration with @itspetergabriel this song has soul and blues, the horn section punctuating the chorus really lift it as well.

Lyrically this references Hamburg in the 1980s where Tom lived for some time – he references a famous music venue that you’d visit by tram – Onkel Po. It’s all pretty bleak, talking about snow, but most importantly given that it’s Germany in the 80s. In the shadows of the Berlin Wall, the eastern bloc, the Cold War, the constant I fear of the nuclear bomb, it gives it that grey view but then things change colour because the music changes the atmosphere. Music on the radio provides an escape for the writer.

Overall, it gives a little peak into life in Germany pre unification – my mum told me about her visits there in the 70s and 80s where you had to present your papers so the nod in the lyrics to this made me smile.

In sequential order this follows “War Baby” on the album, so this is probably not an accident. I love the muted trumpet solo towards the end, nice touch – a nod to American jazz maybe?

I saw Tom play this live last year and it was one of my highlights of the night. Catch Tom’s new show at 9pm-12am Saturday 7th September 2025 on @amazingradio

Words: Del Osei-Owusu (@platinummind)