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Johnsburg, Illinois Lyrics
She's my only true love, she's all that I think of,
look here in my wallet, that's her.
She grew up on a farm there, here's a place on my arm where
I've written her name next to mine.
You see I just can't live without her, and I'm her only boy,
And she grew up outside McHenry, in Johnsburg, Illinois
look here in my wallet, that's her.
I've written her name next to mine.
And she grew up outside McHenry, in Johnsburg, Illinois
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Funny how you have no idea where she is now, or how she feels about him... in fact, he points to everything (a tattoo, her hometown, a picture) EXCEPT the girl herself.
A tribute to his wife. And going with the theme of album, a man away from his home- reminiscing about his only true love
noones commented? jesus christ...
this song is beautiful, it's short and the lyrics are simple but immensely powerful - like the best Waits
The song is about a sailor in a bar, while on leave talking to someone about his girlfriend/wife. You could see it as a companion piece to the song "Shore Leave" which is on the same album. It's also a love song to his wife Kathleen who is from Johnsburg, Illinois.
i could see it being a sailor in a bar, especially since the album does have several bluesy, sad or gritty songs about a soldier or sailor. personally, i thought it was just about a guy who loved this woman immensely, and she left him, breaking his heart. i first listened to this song shortly after my girlfriend of a year and a half broke up with me very unexpectedly right before xmas, so the song sounded all the more bittersweet to me.
Apparently Tom Waits' wife Kathleen grew up on a farm in Johnsburg, Illinois, and this song was a love letter to her.
The is one of the greatest songs by the great Tom Waits. It is a simply staggeringly beautiful song.
I'm a girl from Johnsburg, Illinois. love the place.
I agree that this is one of the most powerful and poignant songs Tom Waits has ever recorded. It sounds a bit morbid, perhaps, but the first time I heard this song, it struck me that the girl in this song had passed away, and the singer is rambling in sorrow to a stranger. This makes the line, "You see, I just can't live without her" more desperate and dark, but still sweet and romantic.
At any rate, this song breaks my heart, it's so beautiful.
Not sure where you go that. I don't see any reference to death in this song. He's showing a pic from his wallet and sharing his feelings with a stranger, kind of like we parents do whenever we get the chance to show off our beautiful children (all children are beautiful:)
Not sure where you go that. I don't see any reference to death in this song. He's showing a pic from his wallet and sharing his feelings with a stranger, kind of like we parents do whenever we get the chance to show off our beautiful children (all children are beautiful:)