英國女歌手Petula Clark是童星出身，7歲時就出現在電台，之後除了廣播唱歌也曾和Julie Andrews ( 比Petula小三歲，曾演出1965的音樂電影《The Sound of Music / 台譯：真善美》。) 一起在英國巡演，更參與過多部電影的演出。1947，Petula遇到了被稱為「Mr. Piano」的Joe Henderson，倆人開始在音樂上合作，1949，Petula發行了她的第一首單曲。不僅在事業上，Petula和Mr. Piano也成了情人的關係，一般人認為倆人應該會結婚，但隨著Petula的名氣愈來愈大，Mr. Piano選擇了分手，原因是他不想成為「Mr. Petula Clark」。

真善美電影海報

Petula & Mr.Piano

1957，Petula受邀至巴黎登台，由於得了感冒而對自己的聲音沒啥信心，但仍受到觀眾的喝采。沒過幾天，就受到邀約至Vogue唱片公司談簽約，尚在猶豫時，一旁的Claude Wolff先生吸引了她，Petula提出若簽了約，這位Wolff先生要配合她一起工作。簽約後，這位Wolff先生就成為Petula的發行人兼公關，倆人也在1961成婚。

Petula & Claude Wolff

由於Petula將歌唱重心放在了法國，1964，她在英國的唱片事業幾乎要「沉沒」了，負責協助Petula在英、法兩地唱片公司的作曲家Tony Hatch帶了一些歌曲素材，親自飛到Petula在巴黎的家，但卻都沒能引起Petula的興趣，眼看無望，Tony Hatch再彈了一首他初次至紐約旅行時所產生靈感但尚未完成歌曲的一些旋律，Petula表示若歌詞可寫得像旋律一樣的好，願意錄此曲為下一首單曲，也就是此首《Downtown》。

1964，《Downtown》以4種語言發行，在英、法、徳、荷、澳、義及日等地都獲致了成功。此時，美國華納兄弟唱片公司的行政主管Joe Smith正在倫敦訪問，聽到此曲後即洽得在美國的發行權，1965年初，《Downtown》衝上美國告示牌排行榜的冠軍寶座，也獲得了一座「最佳搖滾唱片」的葛萊美獎。Petula之後在美國有多首知名的歌曲，像是《My Love》《This is My Song》等，而台灣歌友最熟悉的，恐還是她1968的《Kiss Me Goodbye》吧！

Downtown一般譯作「市中心」，但更精確一些應是指城市中「熱鬧的商業區」。喧囂的環境，的確可擺脫孤獨、憂慮和煩惱，但這也只是一時的逃避。城市鬧區當然也會給人一些正面能量，感覺自己相對渺小而要更加努力吧！

When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go
Downtown
When you've got worries all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help I know
Downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
The light's so much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown
Things will be great when you're
Downtown
No finer place for sure
Downtown
Everything's waiting for you (downtown, downtown)
Don't hang around and let your problems surround you
There are movie shows
Downtown
Maybe you know some little places to go to
Where they never close
Downtown
Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle bossa nova
You'll be dancing with 'em too before the night is over
Happy again
The light's so much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown
Where all the lights are bright
Downtown
Waiting for you tonight
Downtown
You're gonna be alright now (downtown)
Downtown
Downtown
Downtown
Downtown
And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand
To guide them along
So maybe I'll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares
So go downtown
Things will be great when you're
Downtown
Don't wait a minute more
Downtown
Everything's waiting for you (downtown, downtown)
Downtown
(Downtown)
Downtown
(Downtown)
Downtown
(Downtown)
Downtown
(Downtown)