Get out of town
Peggy Lee Lyrics

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The farce was ended,
The curtains drawn,
And I at least pretended
That love was dead and gone.

But now, from nowhere,
You come to me as before
To take my heart,

And break my heart once more.

Get out of town
Before it's too late, my love.
Get out of town,
Be good to mr please!

Why wish me harm?
Why not retire to a farm
And be contented to charm
The birds off the trees?

Just disappear,
I care for you much too much,
And when you are near,
Close to me dear,
We touch too much!

The thrill when we meet
Is so bitter-sweet
That, darling, it's getting me down;
So on your mark,

Get set,
Get out of town!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Peggy Lee's "Get out of Town" appears to be about a relationship that has come to an end. The persona seems to have moved on from the relationship, but their ex-partner has made an unexpected reappearance in their life. The persona is conflicted about this since the memories of the relationship come rushing back as soon as they see their ex-partner.

The persona knows that they cannot let their guard down since they know that their ex-partner is only interested in breaking their heart a second time. That's why the song urges the ex-partner to get out of town before it's too late. The persona wants the ex-partner to go charm the birds off the trees and retire to a farm. The persona cares for them too much; it would become challenging for them to resist and revert to their old ways if they stick around. The excitement they feel when they meet is incredibly intoxicating, but it is getting them down, so they urge their ex-partner to leave before they reconnect completely.

The song's crux is about how the memory of love, bitter-sweet as it may be, is still challenging to move past. The persona has tried and moved on, but a single reunion is enough to make them second-guess everything. The song's urgency is crucial, primarily since life is fleeting, and if they do not take this chance to end things for good, they will be stuck in a vicious cycle of pain and love that they want no part in. In summary, the song is about pain, love, the fear of getting hurt again, and the urgency of escaping the cycle before either party gets too invested.

Line by Line Meaning

The farce was ended,
The facade of love was over,

The curtains drawn,
The show was over,

And I at least pretended,
And I pretended at least,

That love was dead and gone.
That love was no more in the picture.

But now, from nowhere,
But now, unexpectedly,

You come to me as before
You come to me, like you always do,

To take my heart,
To steal my heart,

And break my heart once more.
And break it once more.

Get out of town
Leave this place,

Before it's too late, my love.
Before it gets too complicated.

Be good to me please!
Please don't hurt me.