Lyric discussion by gone again. 

Cover art for Michigan lyrics by Red House Painters

there's nothing about the midwest, specifically michigan, worth falling in love with.

trust me.

Given his slurred delivery, some of the lyrics are hard to grasp. Despite this version appearing on all the lyrics sites, I'd like to offer a couple of potential corrections, some rather important:

"I see through your thin cotton dress I don't know if we'll get to rest" (not "get dressed")

supported by the fact that, in wearing a dress, albeit a thin cotton one, she's already dressed and they're driving in a car, probably heading for a specific destination, but they end up making a few unplanned detours, first in a parking lot, then eventually...

  • supported by the fact that, in wearing a dress, albeit a thin cotton one, she's already dressed and they're driving in a car, probably heading for a specific destination, but they end up making a few unplanned detours, first in a parking lot, then eventually to his place near downtown. For me the line "don't know if we'll get to rest", if correct, is my favorite of the entire song, and is poignantly erotic coming just after "thin cotton dress", indicating that either they'll be so involved in, shall we say, 'fun activities' that they won't get much sleep or, alternatively, that they've embarked on a long car journey and may not have time to stop along the way, but her beauty convinces him an initial detour is warranted. (See below)
  • "You know I've missed you lots" (not "missed your lots")

  • In the live version on "Little Drummer Boy", he clearly sings "miss you a lot")
  • "Warn me of 'cans' and 'nots'" (not "cans and knots")

  • while he does slur his words a bit, the female backing vocals on the studio version clearly sing "but not before", and it makes much more contextual sense, i.e., he feels more alive after she came into his life
  • In any event, great song, and I'm sticking with my version (even if Mark himself says "No!") as this amounts to my absolute favorite RHP or MK song