Steven Roper

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@keithapearson @MrGee27 @virginmedia Basingstoke doesn’t deserve that!

[Keith A Pearson @keithapearson]

As everyone is currently loading their Kindle with holiday reads, could I politely ask for a few shares of this post? 'The Last Stop Video Shop' is only 99p at the moment. Modesty prevents me from calling it a bargain. 😏

https://t.co/U7M3ESVSET

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@MattyHLOFC @EssexCricket @leytonorientfc @LOFCSupporters That’s hard to take in, Matt - I thought he would go on forever. Sending love to you and the family at this sad time.

[Raoul Duke @batcountry1980]

You ever ask yourself the question: “How many times have I heard this song?” When it comes to me and Up the Junction, it must be in the thousands. And I’m not just talking about pressing play here. Hours and hours of my life I’ve spent really listening to it. This isn’t a song that ever fades into the background. If my concentration drifts for even a second, I put it back to the start. Because, and this is the mark of a truly great song, it still gets me every single time. I live the full story. I become the character again and again.

Up the Junction is genius songwriting, up there with any of the greats. In fact, it almost stands alone. There’s nothing else quite like it. It’s not only a lyrical masterclass, but one of the finest examples of how words and music can completely clash, yet still strengthen each other.

Chris Difford’s writing here is clever in so many ways, but not in the manner people usually mean when they talk about “genius lyrics.” There are no grand philosophical statements or dazzling displays of vocabulary. Instead, it’s razor-sharp storytelling, where not a single word is wasted. The song is actually told very simply, yet every line adds something vital, bringing both the characters and their surroundings to life with extraordinary clarity.

It’s a complete Kitchen Sink drama with a beginning, middle and end, all delivered in just over three minutes. Nothing could be added to improve it. That kind of efficient lyricism is a rare gift: saying something in five words rather than twenty while making it hit just as hard. Lines like “we stayed in by the telly, although the room was smelly” instantly conjure an entire life. If you’ve grown up working class, got your first flat with your first love, then you recognise it immediately. You can’t help smile: “That’s it right there.”

🧵

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@RebecTV They actually just announced a DWA collection, the kids will love it 😊 https://t.co/rqloscL0lu

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@OldOsPics I’m worried they meant 2083

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 @DrHookOfficial 😢

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 But I didn’t know how bad it was when I bought it…🫣

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@miadoctorwho I would

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 I think I may have been wrong, oops

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 That would be out of the blue 😉 But yes, fingers crossed!

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 Or on BBC4 🫣

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 I’m sure they’ll stop the snooker at 10 on BBC2 sis, the exact same match is on the red button 🤞🏻

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@pistol147 82!

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@croper1975 Oi!

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@ElizaH64344 “There cod have been another way”

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@ElizaH64344 I’d borrow The Stand if I had a sniffle, NOSFA2 if it was Christmas, and Elric if I was a doom-laden albino 😂

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@ElizaH64344 You don’t have a first edition of Carrie in that attic, do you? 😬

[Steven Roper @StevenRoper1]

@ElizaH64344 Good to know - It’s next on my tbr pile, I’ll let you know my verdict!