I seem to recognize your face
Haunting, familiar yet
I can't seem to place it
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
Lifetimes are catching up with me

All these changes taking place
I wish I'd seen the place
But no one's ever taken me

Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away

I swear, I recognize your breath
Memories like fingerprints are slowly raising
Me, you wouldn't recall for I'm not my former
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf

I changed by not changing at all
Small town predicts my fate
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see
I just want to scream hello

My God it's been so long
Never dreamed you'd return
But now here you are and here I am

Hearts and thoughts they fade away

Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade


Lyrics submitted by Trent, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town Lyrics as written by Jeff Ament Dave Abbruzzese

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town song meanings
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  • +3
    General Comment

    I was led to believe by an online source that this title was chosen in response to the many critics of Pearl Jam's former use of short song titles, and to put it bluntly, "rip the piss" out of them; and was totally irrelevant to the actual meaning of the song. Whether or not this is true is of course debateable, and many users have already posted convincing arguments about it being written from the perspective of the mentioned elderly woman.

    What I feel cannot be disputed though, is that this song is about a person returning to a certain place they have visited, or re-establishing feelings they may have once had, in the past; and realising that deep-down, everything is the same as it ever was. "Hearts and thoughts" may fade away over time, but can be brought back in the picture from memories in an instant.

    chingy_don December 21, 2004   Link

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