Live/Living Top Ten: Living Next Door to Alice (#2)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (62298)
United States
March 30, 2024 11:22am CST
Jury duty?? Thought I had a disability exemption from that. Oh well. Let’s worry about that later. Right now it’s time to live it up with another song with “live” in the title. This one is appropriate, because…well, I’ll explain. Here’s the song.
Living Next Door to Alice - Smokie
The anniversary of my mom’s birth was this week. And she loved this song. I loved it, too. I had the 45, which my mom promptly wore out. 
This was the only hit for the band Smokie in America…and, honestly, it wasn’t that big a hit. It didn’t make it past #25 on the chart.
Mike Chapman, who co-wrote the song, said he was inspired by Shel Silverstein’s song “Sylvia’s Mother” (a hit for Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show) to write this. I’m glad he was inspired!!
Living Next Door to Alice
Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman
Recorded by Smokie
Released as a single, 1976
I guess she’s got her reasons:
This was the only hit for the band Smokie in America…and, honestly, it wasn’t that big a hit. It didn’t make it past #25 on the chart.
Mike Chapman, who co-wrote the song, said he was inspired by Shel Silverstein’s song “Sylvia’s Mother” (a hit for Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show) to write this. I’m glad he was inspired!!
Living Next Door to Alice
Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman
Recorded by Smokie
Released as a single, 1976
I guess she’s got her reasons:Your browser isn’t supported anymore. Update it to get the best YouTube experience and our latest features. Learn moreRemind me later
11 people like this
11 responses
@AmbiePam (85659)
• United States
30 Mar
No, I’m sorry.
My dad got called for jury duty, and went thinking he’d be fine although he was told he could get out of it. Four hours in, he realized his neck would not allow him to do it. Instead of telling anyone he would need to get a medical exemption, he answered the survey he was given with a bunch of Bible verses. I told him when he goes back Tuesday it would serve him right if he got selected after all (it’s a civil trial involving United Healthcare).
2 people like this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
I filled out the form online and told them that I’d been granted a permanent medical exemption 30 years ago (I omitted “check your records, ya buffoons” 
).
).1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85659)
• United States
31 Mar
@FourWalls I would have liked to have seen someone put down buffoons!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
@AmbiePam — it’s district court, and that might have been considered contempt. People die in our jails at an alarming rate, so I’ll be nice.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (48446)
• Mojave, California
31 Mar
I am kind of liked it, sounds like a more than one listen song. I am slow, so did not catch what its exactly about. 24 years is a long time to not rectify something. That is about as close as I came to understanding the song. I like songs that sound or tell stories like that. Still say most music sucks these days because they do not have one word in them about how life really works.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (48446)
• Mojave, California
31 Mar
@FourWalls Haha, I am actually rooting for them to lose, not totally, but we needs some new blood. Baseball world passing the Cardinals by.
So I was right in a round about way. I am sure the world is riddled with stories like that right now, even a song like that you would feel would be more popular. I will never understand this time with what hits and what misses. Maybe people are just looking for something to call their own. Like the 50, 60's 70's 80's 90's did. Sure is frustrating to watch and listen too. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
You aren’t slow, you’re just upset that the Cardinals are playing poorly (and I just looked, the Dodgers have the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first). EDIT: the Cards got out of that jam!
The way I’ve always taken this song is that you have two kids who grew up together. Alice just thought of them as friends, while the guy (narrator) was in love. Meanwhile, Sally (who did the calling) is in love with the narrator and bluntly tells him (“Alice is gone but I’m still here and you know I’ve been waiting for 24 years”), which is sort of a punchline to the song.
EDIT: the Cards got out of that jam!
The way I’ve always taken this song is that you have two kids who grew up together. Alice just thought of them as friends, while the guy (narrator) was in love. Meanwhile, Sally (who did the calling) is in love with the narrator and bluntly tells him (“Alice is gone but I’m still here and you know I’ve been waiting for 24 years”), which is sort of a punchline to the song.1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
@crossbones27 — the Cards have the Cubbies to keep them company in the basement. Love the Cubs, and I think that David Ross was NOT the manager for them, but the way they went behind his back and hired Craig Counsell from the Brewers was just low. (And not the David Bowie album.)
I don’t think it’s too early to say the Rockies have been eliminated, either.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159227)
• Boise, Idaho
30 Mar
I have not heard this song in years. I loved "Sylvia's Mother" and Dr.Hook.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
I made my mom a “mix tape” for her car and this was on it. After she quit driving, I had a “Mom’s playlist” on my iPod and this was included. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
We’ll try again next month…and succeed, because guess who’ll be on the 1984 countdown….
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156717)
• United States
31 Mar
I've never heard it before; but I like it. I have a jury duty exemption too. I actually served on a jury years ago. If you celebrate Easter, have a good one.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
Thank you. Hope you have a good Easter with Hubby today!!
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156717)
• United States
31 Mar
@FourWalls You're welcome. We might not be able to stay long; but I wanted to go anyway. They (his godson/cousin and his 2nd cousin) wanted to bring him a plate of food.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (85441)
• Bangalore, India
31 Mar
I am not aware of the song.
What is this jury duty?
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
The cornerstone of the American judicial system, allegedly. Our constitution allows for trial by “a jury of one’s peers,” so anyone who’s registered to vote is eligible to sit on a jury and hear a case argued.
I say “allegedly,” because too many times the results of the trial by the jury of one’s peers is thrown out by a judge, negating the “jury of one’s peers” system completely. But I’ll take it as one of the best systems in the world.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (85441)
• Bangalore, India
31 Mar
@FourWalls Oh! That sounds interesting. Thank you for sharing it and clarifying my doubt. myLot is an interesting place to learn so many things.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86787)
• United States
30 Mar
I remember this..but these days I say..isn't he lovely?
The lovely lily face, the silky shirt, and the salon hair.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86787)
• United States
30 Mar
@FourWalls So so 70s is right..what I thought was lovely then..I'd laugh at now. Though the music still rules.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73569)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Mar
How I love this band and their songs, This one is great and I also love Chris Norman's solo songs, What is your opinion of the Who the fu--- is Alice version? That one was very popular in Latvia and often played on the radio, Happy Easter to you!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
I don’t care for the more recent version…unnecessary, and takes away from the song.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (12614)
• Ireland
30 Mar
@fourwalls The naughty version of this came on the car radio one day and I nearly drove into a wall in shock. You know the one? “Living next door to Alice. Alice, who the f***’s Alice?”
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62298)
• United States
31 Mar
Yes, I’ve heard that one a few times. It takes away from the original…unless you don’t think much of the original and you’re trying to make fun of it. And that might be the case.
