This Is a Low Lyrics

Lyric discussion by LDG 

Cover art for This Is a Low lyrics by Blur

There are a lot of references to the shipping forecast in this.

Around the bay of BISCAY and back for tea Hit traffic on the DOGGER bank Up the THAMES to find a taxi rank Sail on by with the tide and go asleep And the radio says...

Up the TYNE, FORTH and CROMARTY There's a low in the high FORTIES And saturday's locked away on the pier Not fast enough dear On the MALIN HEAD, blackpool looks blue and red

All names of regions in the shipping forecast, except Malin Head which is a coastal station. The 'low' is referring to an area of low pressure. 'Blackpool looks blue and red' refers to the representation of warm and cold fronts on weather charts. 'Sail on by with the tide and go to sleep' refers to the piece of music 'Sailing By' which is played just before the shipping forecast starts. You'd go to sleep after, because the extended forecast at 12:48am is the last thing broadcast on BBC Radio 4 before closedown and it switches over to the BBC World Service.