My City Was Gone

The Pretenders

I went back to Ohio
But my city was gone
There was no train station
There was no downtown
South Howard had disappeared
All my favorite places
My city had been pulled down
Reduced to parking spaces
A, o, way to go Ohio

Well I went back to Ohio
But my family was gone
I stood on the back porch
There was nobody home
I was stunned and amazed
My childhood memories
Slowly swirled past
Like the wind through the trees
A, o, oh way to go Ohio

I went back to Ohio
But my pretty countryside
Had been paved down the middle
By a government that had no pride
The farms of Ohio
Had been replaced by shopping malls
And Muzak filled the air
From Seneca to Cuyahoga falls
Said, a, o, oh way to go Ohio


Lyrics submitted by OpinionHead

My City Was Gone Lyrics as written by Dave Brock Christine Hynde

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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My City Was Gone song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +3
    General CommentThis is about Chrissy Hynde's return home after the great shutdown of the 1970's. This must be her lament for Ohio before the days of the Rust Belt. At the same time, the government is letting other industries plow over her beautiful home state. I guess this is what happens when economic development runs unchecked.
    OpinionHeadon January 24, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General CommentGreat lyrics, very true.

    The city referred to in the song is Chrissy Hynde's hometown of Akron, Ohio. South Howard is a section of Howard Street in Akron that was bulldozed to build the Innerbelt, a spur of highway that borders the downtown area. In the process, hundreds of businesses and homes were demolished. Many Akron residents also deem the Innerbelt unnecessary.

    Also, I'm from Cuyahoga Falls, so I get an extra thrill hearing my hometown get name-checked!
    muffinson August 16, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think most people when they reach a certain age can relate totally to this song. The place where you grew up is going to change a lot, and even if the change isn't for the worse, you feel a sense of loss. I grew up in a relatively small town, and I can easily adapt the lyrics to my area. My dad grew up in the Bronx -- 'nuff said.

    This is one of the few songs that I distinctly remember hearing for the first time. I was a senior in college and finished class for the day, so I got in my car, turned on the radio and was blown away by that bass line. Then I guessed who it was when I heard Chrissie's voice. Best of all, when the song was over, the DJ said that the Pretenders were coming to town in a few weeks. Awesome show, with The Alarm opening!
    MarkFLon June 01, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAn ironic twist to that tale of sadness is the fact that fat fuck face Rush Limbaugh uses this tune as his theme song. Maybe it's because the way he sees the government as having no pride. I can't blame him there but he stumps for the conservative, Republican causes which stands for pure greed and unchecked economic development. To me, Chrissy Hynde never striked me as the type who would write a song that backed 'The Man'. She self-exiled herself to England and she cited her term at Kent State University as a major reason for it. In the eyes of the fat fuck face, I am sure that she's a 'lefty femi-nazi' or something like that. That's why I find it ironic that he chose this song to be his theme song.
    OpinionHeadon February 09, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAs part of the deal to allow Rush Limbaugh to continue using this as his theme, he has to donate royalties from it to PETA (one of Hynde's favorite causes). Way to get the last laugh.
    headhitsdeskon July 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentShe went back home to discover that Democrats gotta grip on her old beloved town. Like all city\'s big and small taken over by lawless animals running amuck and never held accountable by the lefty judges and politicians. But YAKKITY YAK it\'s all lack of jobs poverty YAKKITY YAK BLAH BLAH....
    Batfluhachu77on January 12, 2022   Link
  • 0
    General CommentYou can never go home.
    thecrossboneon October 12, 2014   Link

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