Albion is track #12 on Babyshambles' debut album, Down in Albion, with writing credit going to Doherty. The song was also released as a single (The 3rd from Down in Albion, and 4th by Babyshambles) on 28.11.05, and was also released on the B Sides album, exclusive to America.
Albion deals primarily with the concept of Albion and Arcadia, thought of as a mythical England (or Great Britain), the landscape and life of which is referred to throughout the song. This idea was central to The Libertines and still is to Babyshambles. The song was the first acoustic song Babyshambles released. The song had been used in The Libertines live sets, and recorded by the band for their Babyshambles Sessions and thus there was some controversy from fans when it was released. It is always one of the highlights of Babyshambles live shows, and is still regularly played at gigs by the band.
The song's lyrical quality is a reflection of its origin, a poem penned by Doherty when he was 16 (according to Babyshambles' bass player Drew McConnell. He was quoted in the November 5 2005 NME track-by-track guide to Down in Albion, as saying Albion was the first song Doherty wrote. However, Doherty has stated Albion was the first time he'd ever gotten the same feelings from one of his own songs as he did from other people's. The lyrics were praised on an episode of Newsnight Review [1], when critics were reviewing Babyshambles' debut album Down in Albion. The single version differs from the album cut, where the song proper is preceded by a minute-long noise (thought to incorporate the sound of a Hammond organ warming up).
The promotional video for Albion has been directed by Roger Pomphrey and features a variety of live, fly-on-the-wall and backstage footage of the band. Some of the footage shows Peter Doherty and former manager, James Mullord, together. However due to Doherty's alleged grievances against him, the record label ordered that Mullord be digitally erased from the video, hence when he and Doherty are shown arriving in Trafalgar Square for the Love Music Hate Racism gig in May 2005, Mullord's face is pixelated. At the end of the video, Doherty is seen walking into the distance with his former manager. Other footage shows glimpses of Kate Moss with Doherty, embracing on the edge of a river bank, as seen previously in the Who the Fuck is Pete Doherty? documentary. Doherty is also seen standing up, attempting to thumb a ride from a passing speed boat.
| #1 (Up the) Albion Radio (Babyshambles Session) |  Peter Doherty | Fan mixtape | 2014-02-01 |
| Oh What a Lovely Tour |  Babyshambles | Album | 2008-06-02 |
| Rory McConnell Radio Session | Babyshambles | Session | 2006-10 |
| Get Loaded | Babyshambles | Session | 2006-08-27 |
| Albion | Babyshambles | Single | 2006-03-14 |
| B-Sides (Single Version) | Babyshambles | Demo | 2006 |
| Jazz After Dark | Peter Doherty | Session | 2006 |
| Down In Albion | Babyshambles | Album | 2005-11-14 |
| Royalty Songs | Babyshambles | Demo | 2005 |
| Wet Your Whistle And Get Bombed | Babyshambles | Session | 2005 |
| Untitled Album | Peter Doherty | Session | 2004-04-08 |
| Acousticalullaby (Skag & Bone Mix) | Peter Doherty | Session | 2004-04 |
| Only Peons Make Excuses | Peter Doherty | Fan mixtape | 2004-04 |
| The Freewheelin' Pete Doherty | Peter Doherty | Fan mixtape | 2004 |
| The Liverpool Session | Peter Doherty | Session | 2004 |
| Babyshambles Sessions (2) |  The Libertines | Session | 2003-05 |
| Babyshambles Sessions (1) | The Libertines | Session | 2003-05 |
| Conversations in Eden | Peter Doherty | Session | Unknown |
| O2 London (1) | The Libertines | 2016-01-30 | |
 Benicàssim Festival | The Libertines | Benicàssim, Spain | 2014-07-19 |
 BST, Hyde Park, London | The Libertines | Hyde Park, London | 2014-07-05 |
| Roundhouse, Camden | Babyshambles | Camden Roundhouse, London | 2014-03-10 |
 Le Zenith, Paris | Babyshambles | Le Zenith, Paris | 2013-10-03 |
| The Garage, Uplands, Swansea | Peter Doherty | 2013-06-18 | |
 Caprices Festival | Peter Doherty | Crans-Montana, Switzerland | 2013-03-08 |
 Ronquières Festival | Peter Doherty | Ronquières, Belgium | 2012-07-28 |
| Parc de Bagatelle, We Love Green | Peter Doherty | Paris, France | 2011-09-11 |
| Le Cabaret Vert | Peter Doherty | Charleville-Mézières, France | 2011-08-27 |
| Cité de la Musique | Peter Doherty | Paris, France | 2010-07-07 |
| Show more concerts | |||
Down in Albion
They're black and blue
But we don't talk about that
Are you from 'round here?
How do you do?
I'd like to talk about that
Talk over
Gin in teacups
And leaves on the lawn
Violence in bus stops
And a pale thin girl with eyes forlorn
Gin in teacups
And leaves on the lawn
Violence in dole queues
And the pale thin girl
Behind the checkout
But if you're looking for a cheap sort
Set in false anticipation
I'll be waiting in the photo booth
At the underground station
So come away, won't you come away
We could go to
Deptford, Catford, Watford, Digberth, Mansfield
Anywhere in Albion
Yellowing classics
And canons at dawn
Coffee wallahs and pith helmets
And English song
Reebok classics
And canons at dawn
Coffee wallahs and pith helmets
And English song
But if you're looking for a cheap tart
All glint with perspiration
There's a four mile queue
Outside the disused power station
Now come away, won't you come away
We'll go to
Satsworth, Senford, Weovil, Woomoyle, Newcastle
Oh anywhere
If you are looking for a cheap tart
don't glint with perspiration
There's a five mile queue
Outside the disused power station
Now come away, won't you come away
We'll go to
Bedtown, Oldham, Nunthorpe, Rowlam, Bristol
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
Anywhere in Albion
NameAlbion
BandBabyshambles
CreditsPeter Doherty
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