The Specials - Ghost Town: Blog tasks

Background and historical contexts

Read this excellent analysis from The Conversation website of the impact Ghost Town had both musically and visually. Answer the following questions

1) Why does the writer link the song to cinematic soundtracks and music hall tradition?

Because the song has a dramatic, film-like atmosphere and combines entertainment with social commentary, similar to music hall traditions.

2) What subcultures did 2 Tone emerge from in the late 1970s?

2 Tone emerged from punk, ska, reggae and working-class youth cultures.

3) What social contexts are discussed regarding the UK in 1981?

High unemployment, economic decline, racial tensions and urban riots.

4) Cultural critic Mark Fisher describes the video as ‘eerie’. What do you think is 'eerie' about the Ghost Town video?

The empty streets, dark atmosphere and deserted urban locations create a haunting and unsettling feeling.

5) Look at the final section (‘Not a dance track’). What does the writer suggest might be the meanings created in the video? Do you agree?

The video suggests social decay, unemployment and the breakdown of communities. I agree because the visuals reinforce these themes.

As an anthem of social unrest and one of Britain's most important songs.

2) What does the article say about the social context of the time – what was happening in Britain in 1981?

There was high unemployment, economic recession and widespread riots.

3) How did The Specials reflect an increasingly multicultural Britain?

They brought together Black and white musicians and blended different musical influences.

4) How can we link Paul Gilroy’s theories to The Specials and Ghost Town?

They represent cultural hybridity and show how British identity is shaped by different cultures.

5) The article discusses how the song sounds like a John Barry composition. Why was John Barry a famous composer and what films did he work on?

He was a film composer best known for the James Bond films and also worked on Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves.

Ghost Town - Media Factsheet

Watch the video several times before reading Factsheet #211 - Ghost Town. You'll need your GHS Google login to access the factsheet. Once you have analysed the video several times and read the whole factsheet, answer the following questions: 

1) Focus on the Media Language section. What does the factsheet suggest regarding the mise-en-scene in the video? 

It uses empty streets, urban decay and dark costumes to represent social decline.

2) How does the lighting create intertextual references? What else is notable about the lighting?

The low-key lighting references film noir and horror films while creating a gloomy mood.

3) What non-verbal codes help to communicate meanings in the video?

Facial expressions, body language, costume and direct looks to camera.

4) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the editing and camerawork? Pick out three key points that are highlighted here.

  • Tracking shots from the car.
  • Cross-cutting between locations and the band.
  • Slow editing pace to create atmosphere.

    • 5) What narrative theories can be applied to the video? Give details from the video for each one.

  • Todorov: society is in a state of disruption.
  • Barthes: mystery created by empty streets.
  • Levi-Strauss: oppositions such as life/death and community/isolation.

    • 6) How can we apply genre theory to the video?

    The video combines ska, social realism and political commentary.

    7) Now look at the Representations section. What are the different people, places and groups that are represented in the Ghost Town video? Look for the list on page 4 of the factsheet.

    Young people, working-class communities, multicultural Britain and deprived urban areas.

    8) How can Gauntlett's work on collective identity be applied to the video?

    Young people, working-class communities, multicultural Britain and deprived urban areas.

    9) How can gender theorists such as Judith Butler be applied to Ghost Town?



    10) Postcolonial theorists like Paul Gilroy can help us to understand the meanings in the Ghost Town music video. What does the factsheet suggest regarding this?

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