Ohio
Damien Jurado Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Out from my window across from the city
I have what's considered a good view
Two blocks from the subway, three from the fountain
Where I walk to break in new shoes

She stands on the sidewalk just waving at taxis
Like horses in parades in passing
I ask where she's headed she tells me,
"Ohio, I've not seen my mother in ages
It's been a long time, a real long time."

Out from my window "How far is Ohio?"
She laughed and pointed out east
She said, "I grew up there with my dear mother
And I haven't seen her since thirteen.

You see, I was taken while she lay sleeping
By my father's hired man
We moved to city so far from my family
I haven't been back there since.
It's been a long time, a real long time."

Out from my window please hear me Ohio
Your daughter wants to come home
She longs to be with you to hug you to kiss you
To never leave her alone

And I've gotten know her to live with to love her
It's hard to see her leave
She belongs to her mother and the state of Ohio
I wish she belonged to me





See you sometime, see you sometime

Overall Meaning

Ohio by Damien Jurado is a reflective song that tells the story of a girl who grew up in Ohio with her mother until she was taken away by her father’s hired man when she was just thirteen years old. The singer, who speaks from his window, is a stranger who happens to come across the girl standing on the sidewalk waving at taxis. As they both talked, the girl expressed her desire to go back to Ohio to see her mother who she has not seen in years.


The song is a sad reminder of how the past can come back to haunt someone, it shows how the past can both inform and limit one’s present or even future. The girl in the story was taken from her mother and has not had the chance to reunite with her since she was thirteen. It’s heartbreaking to think that she may never get the chance to see her mother again, but the song is filled with hope as the singer encourages Ohio to welcome back her daughter.


In conclusion, Ohio is a beautifully crafted song that explores the themes of isolation, hope, and longing. Damien Jurado tells a story that captures the emotions of those who have been separated from their loved ones due to circumstances beyond their control. The song expresses the deep desire for reconnection and reunification that many people experience. It’s a song about reaching out, understanding, and holding on to hope even in the midst of difficult situations.


Line by Line Meaning

Out from my window across from the city
The singer is at home, looking out of his window while the city is visible in front of him.


I have what's considered a good view
The singer considers his view of the city to be good and desirable.


Two blocks from the subway, three from the fountain
The singer's home is located two blocks away from the subway station and three blocks away from the fountain.


Where I walk to break in new shoes
The fountain is where the artist walks to break in his new shoes.


She stands on the sidewalk just waving at taxis
The artist sees a girl standing on the sidewalk, waving at taxis as they pass by.


Like horses in parades in passing
The taxis passing by the girl seem to be like horses in a parade to the singer.


I ask where she's headed she tells me,
Curious as to where the girl is going, the singer asks her a question.


"Ohio, I've not seen my mother in ages
The girl says she is going to Ohio to visit her mother whom she hasn't seen in a long time.


It's been a long time, a real long time."
The girl emphasizes the length of time she has not seen her mother.


Out from my window "How far is Ohio?"
The artist inquires from his window how far Ohio is from their location.


She laughed and pointed out east
The girl laughed and pointed to the direction east to indicate the location of Ohio from their current location.


She said, "I grew up there with my dear mother
The girl reveals that Ohio is the place where she grew up with her dear mother


And I haven't seen her since thirteen.
The girl hasn't seen her mother since she was thirteen years old.


You see, I was taken while she lay sleeping
The girl tells the story of how her father's hired man took her while her mother was sleeping.


By my father's hired man
The girl was taken by her own father's hired man.


We moved to city so far from my family
The girl and her father's hired man relocated to a city that was far away from her family.


I haven't been back there since.
Because she was taken, the girl hasn't been back to Ohio since.


It's been a long time, a real long time."
The girl emphasizes the length of time she hasn't seen or been back to Ohio in the same manner as before.


Out from my window please hear me Ohio
The singer sends a message to Ohio by speaking out from his window.


Your daughter wants to come home
The girl wants to go back to Ohio which she considers her home.


She longs to be with you to hug you to kiss you
The girl misses her mother and wants to be with her to show affection through hugging and kissing.


To never leave her alone
The girl wants to stay with her mother in Ohio and never be left alone again.


And I've gotten know her to live with to love her
The singer has gotten to know and live with the girl and has fallen in love with her.


It's hard to see her leave
The artist finds it difficult to accept that the girl will be leaving soon.


She belongs to her mother and the state of Ohio
The girl is a resident of Ohio and belongs to her mother and the state.


I wish she belonged to me
The singer expresses his desire that the girl belonged to him instead.


See you sometime, see you sometime
The singer says goodbye to the girl and hopes to see her again sometime in the future.




Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Damien Jurado

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@thevibeguide

Wow! This is superb!

@jessewang9753

👋

@jessewang9753

Vibing?

@jessewang9753

Pretty good huh? They won’t let me get the vocals to fit perfect ... they keep changing the positions on words and I’m getting different reverbs for different parts of the vocals cause that’s how they space them out when I’m not looking .... they add more reverb to words so then they move them further way from each other ....

@kristophersean2747

Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know of a way to get back into an instagram account??
I somehow forgot my login password. I appreciate any help you can give me

@donaldbrayden4743

@Kristopher Sean Instablaster =)

3 More Replies...

@stevenburrito7032

I’m from Ohio and I live in Hong Kong. I haven’t been home in a long, long time. This song both increases and decreases my pain. Thank you for the upload.

@helenmaevesmith1238

Where are you from in Ohio?

@stevenburrito7032

@@helenmaevesmith1238 CBUS with roots in the Hocking Hills

@yppakcaasi5396

keepin the CCP at bay with Damien Jamz i see. good work patriot!

FREEEEDOM

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