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Her Town Too Lyrics
She's been afraid to go out
She's afraid of the knock on her door
There's always a shade of a doubt
She can never be sure
Who comes to call
Maybe the friend of a friend of a friend
Anyone at all
Anything but nothing again
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
Seems like even her old girlfriends
Might be talking her down
She's got her name on the grapevine
Running up and down
The telephone line
Talking 'bout
Someone said, someone said
Something 'bout, something else
Someone might have said about her
She always figured that they were her friends
But maybe they can live without her
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
Well, people got used to seeing them both together
But now he's gone and life goes on
Nothing lasts forever, oh no
She gets the house and the garden
He gets the boys in the band
Some of them his friends
Some of them her friends
Some of them understand
Lord knows that this is just a small town city
Yes, and everyone can see you fall
It's got nothing to do with pity
I just wanted to give you a call
It used to be your town
It used to be my town, too
You never know 'till it all falls down
Somebody loves you
Somebody loves you
Darling, somebody still loves you
I can still remember
When it used to be her town, too
It used to be your town
It used to be my town, too
She's afraid of the knock on her door
There's always a shade of a doubt
She can never be sure
Who comes to call
Maybe the friend of a friend of a friend
Anyone at all
Anything but nothing again
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
Seems like even her old girlfriends
Might be talking her down
She's got her name on the grapevine
Running up and down
The telephone line
Talking 'bout
Someone said, someone said
Something 'bout, something else
Someone might have said about her
She always figured that they were her friends
But maybe they can live without her
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
It used to be her town
It used to be her town, too
Well, people got used to seeing them both together
But now he's gone and life goes on
Nothing lasts forever, oh no
She gets the house and the garden
He gets the boys in the band
Some of them his friends
Some of them her friends
Some of them understand
Lord knows that this is just a small town city
Yes, and everyone can see you fall
It's got nothing to do with pity
I just wanted to give you a call
It used to be your town
It used to be my town, too
You never know 'till it all falls down
Somebody loves you
Somebody loves you
Darling, somebody still loves you
I can still remember
When it used to be her town, too
It used to be your town
It used to be my town, too
Song Info
Submitted by
irrelevance10 On Oct 25, 2008
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I agree with (and paraphrase) those who have said:
"The subject of "Her Town, Too" is the aftermath of a breakup of a long term relationship. James Taylor described it as "a tender, well-meaning song about how difficult it was to be friends" with both parties after the breakup.[...] Taylor also said that the song was about "the ex-wife of a mutual friend," [presumably] Betsy Asher, who had then recently divorced from Taylor's long-time manager and producer, Peter Asher.
"...The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it a "gently incisive divorce song" that was "among [Taylor's] finest pieces of writing." [...] Montreal Gazette critic John Griffin praised "...the way lyrics such as "she always figured that they were her friends but maybe they can live without her" resonates with people who have had friendships with one or the other partner disintegrate after a relationship ends."
(On a personal note, this song certainly resonates with me after my 33 year marriage ended in divorce. The man I counted as one of my two very best friends in the world dropped me after 25+ years, explaining that he had to choose between a continuing friendship with me or my ex, and he chose her due to her greater 'emotional need' for such a friendship. That wounded me almost as much as the divorce itself, which had already cut me off at the knees...)
From the breakup album, Dad Loves His Work. This song is the angst of breaking up and still caring for each other.
I always thought it may have been the perspective of a friend who went through the same thing, not the ex. The friend may have been an ex from the past, or someone whom had feelings for her at some point. The big point is that during a breakup/divorce you may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but a good friend may help remind it's there.
This is the story of a woman whose life is destroyed by a major breakup.
It is written from the perspective of a man who had also gone through a major breakup some time earlier in his life.
My favorite aspect of the song is how he reaches out to her and there is the real possibility that they may become a couple and achieve happiness. But this is only a possible outcome. It never occurred to me until after several casual listenings to the song that that was what was happening here.
It is a song about hope. It sounds like it is about the aftermath of a breakup, but it is really about hope.
I thought it was about Carly's and his break-up?