Synopsis
Doves do not appear in the video, which instead follows a group of children and teenagers living on a Glasgow housing estate. Their frustration is expressed through restless, physical acts: staring blankly, striking walls, attacking a punching bag, and turning on one another. Shot in muted, dreary colors with a handheld, observational style, the film builds toward a street fight before ending with the children running after a departing bus, suggesting escape that remains just out of reach.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed in Glasgow, primarily on the Summerston and Prospecthill Circus council estates in Toryglen.
- Handheld cameras give the film a documentary-like immediacy, keeping the focus on the young performers rather than on conventional band footage.
- Doves guitarist Jimi Goodwin described the film as being seen from a child's perspective and praised its ability to condense the filmmaker's usual concerns into four minutes.
- A different director's cut was included on the DVD edition of the limited-edition box set of *Some Cities*.
- The title reflects songwriter Jez Williams' description of growing up in a small town and watching the city on a broken black-and-white television. The band has also emphasized that the song's outlook is driven more by anger than nostalgia.
- The single became Doves' second UK Top 10 hit, reaching No. 6 in February 2005.