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You Wear It Well Lyrics
I had nothing to do on this hot afternoon
but to settle down and write you a line
I've been meaning to phone you but from Minnesota
hell it's been a very long time
You wear it well
A little old fashioned but that's all right
Well I suppose you're thinking I bet he's sinking
or he wouldn't get in touch with me
Oh I ain't begging or losing my head
I sure do want you to know that you wear it well
There ain't a lady in the land so fine
Remember them basement parties, your brother's karate
the all day rock and roll shows
Them homesick blues and radical views
haven't left a mark on you, you wear it well
A little out of time but I don't mind
But I ain't forgetting that you were once mine
but I blew it without even tryin'
Now I'm eatin' my heart out
tryin' to get a letter through
Since you've been gone it's hard to carry on
I'm gonna write about the birthday gown that I bought in town
when you sat down and cried on the stairs
You knew it did not cost the earth, but for what it's worth
You made me feel a millionaire and you wear it well
Madame Onassis got nothing on you
Anyway, my coffee's cold and I'm getting told
that I gotta get back to work
So when the sun goes low and you're home all alone
think of me and try not to laugh and I wear it well
I don't object if you call collect
'cos I ain't forgetting that you were once mine
but I blew it without even tryin'
Now I'm eatin' my heart out tryin' to get back to you
After all the years I hope it's the same address
Since you've been gone it's hard to carry on
but to settle down and write you a line
I've been meaning to phone you but from Minnesota
hell it's been a very long time
You wear it well
A little old fashioned but that's all right
or he wouldn't get in touch with me
Oh I ain't begging or losing my head
I sure do want you to know that you wear it well
There ain't a lady in the land so fine
the all day rock and roll shows
Them homesick blues and radical views
haven't left a mark on you, you wear it well
A little out of time but I don't mind
but I blew it without even tryin'
Now I'm eatin' my heart out
tryin' to get a letter through
I'm gonna write about the birthday gown that I bought in town
when you sat down and cried on the stairs
You knew it did not cost the earth, but for what it's worth
You made me feel a millionaire and you wear it well
Madame Onassis got nothing on you
that I gotta get back to work
So when the sun goes low and you're home all alone
think of me and try not to laugh and I wear it well
I don't object if you call collect
'cos I ain't forgetting that you were once mine
but I blew it without even tryin'
Now I'm eatin' my heart out tryin' to get back to you
Since you've been gone it's hard to carry on
Song Info
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The song is about being comfortable in your own space. "Wearing it well" is an achievement that is reserved for those of us in rarefied air....that is to say, it's a particular talent to be yourself, and not be stained by the culture you live in. Hence, homesick blues and radical views. The narrator is evoking the persona of the relatively simple guy, who once had a woman that was really great, but at the time he didn't quite have the words to say it properly. At the end of the song, the line reverses to "and I wear it well," indicating that while the girl in the song is ideal and in full ownership of her (we suppose) ideal personality, the singer as come to peace with his place in life and is doing a a damn good job being who the world as made him to be.
Can't it just have been such a long time since he's been in touch with her that it's "time" that she wears well? Like she's getting older but not less atractive?
This song is about a woman he once dated, they drifted apart because he was younger and did something stupid to mess it up, but he still thinks about her and now regrets it. He's moved on with his life and accepted it, but is writing her a letter. It isn't out of desperation, he's just reminiscing and showing his appreciation for this woman and admitting to have shot himself in the foot as far as their relationship goes. But he wears it well, ie-he takes it in stride now, but still admires her...and he's pining for her a bit. I take "you wear it well" in this song to mean that he admires how she is comfortable being herself and knows who she is. "A little old fashioned", "a little out of time", she isn't perfect, but it doesn't matter because she is a genuine person who is comfortable in her own skin-wearing it well. Really sweet sentiment. I like this song.
"Sweetly reminiscent," one of my favorite tones. Any bitter feelings surrounding the breakup are gone and the character is simply admiring what great "grown-ups" he and his childhood sweetheart have turned out to be. Ideally he would like another chance with her ("hope after all these years it's the same address"). But if that doesn't work out he still takes comfort in the memory of who they were as a young couple (basement parties, all day rock & roll shows, etc.) and who they have each become. Letting his mind wander back in time and imagining a seeing her again is a nice respite from the work-a-day world ("my coffee's cold and I'm getting told I ought to get back to work...") The song is straightforward enough to not require interpretation, really, but it's such a perfect confection I had to comment.
It’s a song to the Maggie May woman many years later. “After all these years, it’s the same address…” Naturally, his bitterness is diminished with time. In fact, he’s being condescending.
well, obviously it's a guy writing to an ex of his. they've been broken up for a long time and they're separated by miles. I'd like to know what rod meant by "you wear it well". what does she wear well?
To me it just means "you carry yourself well", as in your whole look and attitude.
To me it just means "you carry yourself well", as in your whole look and attitude.
I always figured it meant he'd bought her a dress before leaving her, or maybe when he'd left. I like the song at any rate, it's a personal favorite...
Rhyming Minnesota with phone ya - magic!!!! Such a classy song, a feeling of knocking it up in a few minutes between rehearsals
@nagromnai 10 years later...but what the heck. I always thought that he (the man writing to his ex) was stuck in the armpit of America, Minnesota [I was born there, I was raised there, then I left there because of the lefties HIGH taxesI]. And back when this song came out, it was expensive to dial long distance so he was using that as an excuse for being to cowardly to call her instead of writing her. He leaves the ball in her court and invites her to call collect to save his ego, knowing that she never will. Also...
@nagromnai 10 years later...but what the heck. I always thought that he (the man writing to his ex) was stuck in the armpit of America, Minnesota [I was born there, I was raised there, then I left there because of the lefties HIGH taxesI]. And back when this song came out, it was expensive to dial long distance so he was using that as an excuse for being to cowardly to call her instead of writing her. He leaves the ball in her court and invites her to call collect to save his ego, knowing that she never will. Also back when this song came out it was of course a turbulent time in America with the Viet Nam War and all of our 'radical' protests so I've always thought that she wore the who anti-war persona well. Funny thing how when folks are young we are all lefties and when we get older, raise children, get serious about careers and not wanting to pay high taxes, we turn right. Socially liberal, politically conservative -- ah yes, I am one of those live and let live, but earn your living, don't expect others to give it to you libertarians. Great song and it was looked at as a political statement in my crowd back in the day. I was a fifteen year old 'radical' when that song came out.
I think he just means everything about her, her personality her memory everything, she wears it well in his mind.. Thats what I think anyways..always a nice one to listen to in the morning.
My all time favorite song. I stole this album from my brother when I was about 12. I have listened to this song over a 1000 times! I know, pretty sad, it took me years to figure Rod was saying "Minnesota" at the beginning of the song! A truely great rock voice, too bad Rods at the end of the line...