Hobart Paving

"Hobart Paving" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne from their second album, So Tough (1993). It was released by Heavenly Records on 11 May 1993 as a double A-side with the band's cover of "Who Do You Think You Are", originally released in 1974 by Jigsaw and a hit for Candlewick Green. It reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Hobart Paving"
Single by Saint Etienne
from the album So Tough
A-side"Who Do You Think You Are"
B-side"Your Head My Voice (Voix Revirement)"
Released11 May 1993[1]
Recorded1993
GenreIndie pop
Length4:55
LabelHeavenly – HVN 29
Warner – 9 40910
Songwriter(s)Stanley/Wiggs
Saint Etienne singles chronology
"You're in a Bad Way"
(1993)		 "Hobart Paving" / "Who Do You Think You Are"
(1993)		 "Xmas 93"
(1993)
Music video
"Hobart Paving" on YouTube

Lyrics

The song describes an unhappy woman, using characteristically surreal images such as "Rain falls like Elvis tears" and "Just like a harpsichordist she moves". The apparently meaningless title appears in the song's chorus: "Hobart paving, don't you think that's it's time, / On this platform with the drizzle in my eyes?" The title may derive from a construction firm called Hobart Paving Company Limited[2] in the town of Croydon, where two of the band members grew up.[3]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic named "Hobart Paving" a "stand out" from the So Tough album.[4] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton viewed it as "being a fairly average track".[5] Dave Simpson from Melody Maker praised it as "an absolute gem", remarking its "magnificently eerie melody and Sarah's almost unbearably poignant vocal."[6] Armond White from Rolling Stone noted that one of Saint Etienne's "cast of characters", Hobart, "inhabit a lovelorn ballad".[7]

Music video

A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single. It was later published on YouTube in May 2012.[8]

Mixes

"Hobart Paving" was slightly remixed for single release, adding subtle overdubs and extra instrumentation.

"Your Head My Voice (Voix Revirement)" is a remix of "Who Do You Think You Are", though the source material is unrecognisable in the mix, hence the different title. However, if one reverses the audio, the lyrics "Every day sees another scar, tell me who do you..." are audible. Also of note is the writing credits for "Your Head My Voice (Voix Revirement)" which list Stanley/Wiggs/James as composers, none of whom composed "Who Do You Think You Are" and marking the only time Richard David James/Aphex Twin would be listed as a co-writer of a Saint Etienne track.

An alternative mix of "Hobart Paving", created for the single but ultimately not used, was eventually released on the Nice Price outtakes collection in 2006.

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Dyer and Scott, except where indicated.

European release

Charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) 23
UK Dance (Music Week)[9] 10

Cover versions

The 1997 German movie Bandits featured a cover version of the song called "Catch Me" (possibly to better match the movie's prison break story), released under the band name "Bandits". The "Hobart Paving" in the chorus was replaced by "Hold on, princess". "Catch Me" peaked at #42 on the German Media Control Singles chart[10]

References
  1. http://www.saintetiennedisco.com/ep/ihobart/hobart.html
  2. See Hobart Paving website
  3. "Saintetienne.net". Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Saint Etienne – So Tough". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  5. Masterton, James (16 May 1993). "Week Ending May 22nd 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  6. Simpson, Dave (22 May 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 27. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  7. White, Armond (5 August 1993). "Saint Etienne: So Tough". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  8. "Saint Etienne – Hobart Paving". 10 May 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 29 May 1993. p. 24. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  10. "Single, Bandits, Catch Me". 2014 GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
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