MARTHA & THE MUFFINS ('ECHO BEACH', 1979) - A LOT OF GOOD THINGS AND GOOD MUSIC FROM TORONTO

- When you wrote 'Echo Beach', did you think that people would still be listening to it years later?

- (Martha) The song has legs and we could have never anticipated that. If somebody had said then that song is going to be as popular 25 years on, I wouldn't have believed it. But I can see in retrospect how it has appealed to people. My father always said one reason he thought it was a hit is because it's nostalgic, and any song that has nostalgia in it hits a chord with people. And I think to some extent he's right. We're also the only Canadian band or artist to make Mojo magazine's list of '100 Singles You Must Own' ('Echo Beach' was #67). (In Canada) we have an award called the Juno, and we won two of them, one for the song 'Echo Beach' – I think it got single of the year in 1980...
(from an interview)

'Echo Beach', Martha and The Muffins, 1979

I know it's out of fashion
And a trifle uncool
But I can't help it
I'm a romantic fool
It's a habit of mine
To watch the sun go down
On Echo beach, I watch the sun go down

From nine till five I have to spend my time at work
The job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day

On a silent summer evening
The sky's alive with light
Building in the distance
Surrealistic sight
On Echo Beach
Waves make the only sound
On Echo Beach
There's not a soul around

From nine till five I have to spend my time at work
The job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day

Echo Beach
Far away in time
Echo Beach
Far away in time