Rigby makes terrific, all-too-overlooked roots-pop records that nail the likes of class, men and "middlescence" with wit, grace and self-deprecating charm. At her quotidian best, though, she sings the song of herself, conveying the blues, as lived by urbanites and suburbanites, like a certified niece of Loretta Lynn.
Don't Ever Change
Amy Rigby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to see what was going on
Sat watching two guys fishing in the river running through
Like there was nothing wrong, nothing wrong
Beer guts, t-shirts, me with my heavy heart
I don't have religion but I'm trying to pray
And I never liked fishing but I wanted to stand up and say
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
Don't ever change
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
I picked my daughter up at school last week
She had her headphones on, she barely said hello
And all I wanted was to hug her, smother her with kisses
But I was cool, like hi there, how did it go?
She had chipped nail polish, writing on her hand
She was nodding her head to her favorite band
Staring into space like she was all alone
But I didn't take it personal
It meant that I was home and I said
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
Don't ever change
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
Don't ever change
I'm holding on to everything that's good in this world
There's a lot that's good in this world
I saw my baby sitting there at the breakfast table
His hair a mess and he forgot to shave
And I wished that he would get up, make it all better
Stop drinking so much, learn how to behave
Then the radio was playing a Chuck Berry song
And he was looking at me asking what was wrong
I made a list of the things I could say
But he gave me a wink and it all went away, I told him
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
Don't ever change
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
Don't ever change
Amy Rigby's "Don't Ever Change" is a touching track that highlights the importance of acknowledging the flaws in the people we love and still accepting them for who they are. The song follows the singer as she takes a walk through a small town on a Sunday morning and comes across two men fishing by the river. As she watches them, she realizes that they're content with their simple pleasures, and she wants to tell them that they're perfect the way they are.
The second verse features a different scenario, where she picks up her daughter from school and tries to connect with her. Even though her daughter seems aloof and distracted, Rigby doesn't take it personally and reassures her with the same words she might have told the fishermen. The third verse has her sitting with her partner, wishing that he would change his ways and be a better version of himself, but the moment is cut short when they share a laugh over a Chuck Berry tune, reminding her that he's already perfect to her.
Rigby's lyrics are poignant in their simplicity, striking a chord with anyone who's ever struggled with accepting their loved ones as they are. "Don't Ever Change" is a reminder that people have imperfections and perhaps it's those imperfections that make us love them even more.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a walk in a small town Sunday morning
I went for a stroll in a small town on a Sunday morning
Just to see what was going on
To see what was happening
Sat watching two guys fishing in the river running through
I observed two men fishing in the river nearby
Like there was nothing wrong, nothing wrong
They seemed to enjoy themselves and not worry about anything
They had their lines in the water ten feet apart
Their fishing lines were ten feet away from each other
Beer guts, t-shirts, me with my heavy heart
They had beer bellies, t-shirts and I had a heavy heart
I don't have religion but I'm trying to pray
Although I'm not religious, I tried to pray
And I never liked fishing but I wanted to stand up and say
I never enjoyed fishing, but I wanted to express something
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
I wanted to express my love and say that they are perfect just the way they are
I picked my daughter up at school last week
I picked up my daughter from school last week
She had her headphones on, she barely said hello
She was wearing headphones and barely greeted me
And all I wanted was to hug her, smother her with kisses
I wanted to hug and kiss her a lot
But I was cool, like hi there, how did it go?
But I played it cool and asked how her day went
She had chipped nail polish, writing on her hand
She had nail polish that was slightly chipped and some writing on her hand
She was nodding her head to her favorite band
She was bobbing her head to her favorite music
Staring into space like she was all alone
She was looking into the distance as if she was all by herself
But I didn't take it personal
But I didn't feel personally attacked by her behavior
It meant that I was home and I said
It meant that I was home and I responded
I'm holding on to everything that's good in this world
I cherish everything that's positive in this world
There's a lot that's good in this world
There are many good things in this world
I saw my baby sitting there at the breakfast table
I saw my spouse sitting at the breakfast table
His hair a mess and he forgot to shave
His hair was messy and he forgot to shave
And I wished that he would get up, make it all better
I hoped he would get up and improve everything
Stop drinking so much, learn how to behave
I wished he would drink less and act better
Then the radio was playing a Chuck Berry song
Then a Chuck Berry song was playing on the radio
And he was looking at me asking what was wrong
He looked at me and asked what was bothering me
I made a list of the things I could say
I thought of what I could say to him
But he gave me a wink and it all went away, I told him
But he made a facial expression and everything was okay, so I told him
Hey I love you, you're perfect, don't ever change
I expressed my love and said that he is perfect just the way he is
Don't ever change
You don't have to change anything about yourself
Lyrics © DEMI MUSIC CORP. D/B/A LICHELLE MUSIC COMPANY, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: AMY RIGBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind