Trafalgar Square

Song Meaning

The narrator arrives at Trafalgar Square, expecting a meeting, but finds the space crowded by "men those out there C and D." This unexpected throng "crowded out our rendezvous," causing a significant delay and setting a tone of frustration before the encounter even begins. The initial promise of a meeting is immediately complicated by external forces, turning a simple rendezvous into an obstacle course. The core tension lies in the contrast between the promised meeting and the reality of the crowded square. The narrator is left alone, "Nelson and me, no one for tea," a poignant image of solitude amidst a public space. This disappointment is palpable, leading to a passive resignation: "So I fed the pigeons, there was nothing else for me to do." The lyrics suggest a feeling of helplessness against the sheer volume of anonymous people. The repeated phrase "Said she'd be there, but she didn't say where" is key. It highlights a crucial ambiguity in the arrangement, a detail that becomes critical only after the fact. This isn't just about being late; it's about a potential miscommunication or a lack of specificity that leaves the narrator adrift. The "upright citizens" are framed not as fellow Londoners, but as barriers, "passing in between" what could have been. Ultimately, the lyrics capture the sting of a missed connection, amplified by the impersonal nature of a busy city square. The narrator's disappointment is amplified by the feeling that the potential for connection was actively thwarted by the indifferent crowd, leaving only "an empty square and all the things that might have been."