NANCI GRIFFITH lyrics - This Old Town

(Janis Ian & Jon Vezner)



This old town should've burned down in 1929

That's when we stood in line

Waiting for our soup

Swallowing our pride

This old town should've burned down in 1931

When the rain refused to come

Air filled up our bellies

Dust filled up our lungs

And we thought our time had come



[Chorus:]

This old town was built by hand

In the dust bowl of the Mother land

There must be rock beneath this sand

Oh, I'll be damned

This town still stands



This old town should've burned down in 1944

When the last men went to war

They came back different

If they came back at all

This old town should've burned down in 1956

That's when the twister hit

And all our hopes were buried

Beneath the boards and bricks

And we almost called it quits



[Chorus]



[Bridge:]

Somewhere in the distance

The city lights do shine

The sidewalks gleam with neon dreams

That call from time to time

When my children's children

Ask me why I didn't go

They say the heart of any town

Is the people that you've known

They'll always call you home



[Chorus]