"You'll never watch your life slide out of view . . ."

This is where I admit that I never heard that song until William Shatner re-did it.

I love the way the song lulls you into a false sense of security with its innocuously pleasant start to its furious crescendo.

I never forget that I'm one of the common people. If we had poor white trash in the UK, that's my tribe of origin.

I literally cannot hear that song without hearing the Shatner version.

Shatner did that to the song for me too... he also did it to "Rocket Man".

This song IS an anthem for those of us who know the Rich always wages a Class War against the Poor, whether the Poor fights back or not. During the Period of Upward Mobility ('40s-'70s), my father worked his way up to Upper Middle Class, then, after I grew up and moved out and my mother died, slid back down (retired early, invested badly, etc.). That's how I learned that the need for money (not the desire) is based on one's responsibility for others. I never outearned my father's best years (even inflation-non-adjusted) and I'm cool with that. And as meager as my fixed income and side income are, it has become just fine for just me. I've never fit in with the Common People or The Upper Middle Class; I like to think I'm in a Class by Myself, but I know I'm just weird.

The irony in the US is that only upper middle-class college educated people will ever hear this song. Our working class whites (at least all the ones I've hung out with) are still listening to "classic" rock and haven't heard anything from Britain newer than newer than Jethro Tull.

I love that song, it really seems to have outlasted the whole of the Britpop thing and just got better.

Surprised that Americans get it, would have thought it was a bit too British to travel well.

I was just thinking about that song. I think that as much as Americans like to think we have a "classless society" on some level we know that's not true for 99% of people. Yes, you can hit that one-in-a-million chance + hard work combo and become the next Oprah or sports star...but most don't.

My parents were working class, second generation Americans who were each the first people in their families to go to college. I grew up with some very mixed messages about class.

Never knew Shatner did a version... will have to look it up later!

Oh... my.

(TAS is so underrated. I wish they'd reboot *that*.)

I wish I loved other songs as much as I love this song. Now all I want to do is listen to Pulp.

Don't forget Jarvis Cocker's OTHER brilliant and angry song about class.