abilene
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men Lyrics
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Leavin' the great Northwest
Takin' her tonight
Back down south to Texas
She's been dancing' on tables
To pay rent and be able
To just get by and maybe stay clean.
Abilene, Abilene.
Well her daddy'd get drunk
Then he'd hit her hard
And her mama'd lie in bed
High on pills and talkin' to God
But like her beautiful tattoos
These old memories she can't lose
Since she ran away at fifteen.
Abilene, Abilene
There's a town ahead that you've never seen
Maybe it's better if you get off there and try to
Forget everything
Abilene.
Starin' out the window
At the long cold night
Ahead on the horizon
Is another string of bright lights
She's dreamin' of a man she's goin' to meet
In a bar on an Austin street
Maybe this one won't be so mean.
Abilene, Abilene
There's a town ahead that you've never seen
And maybe it's better if you get off there and try to
Forget everything
Abilene.
In a Texas bar there's a man sittin' alone
Thinkin' of a girl he swore he'd wait there for
But he's drinkin' beers and he's feelin' old
Rememberin' every lie he's told
'Til he changes his mind and he leaves.
Abilene, Abilene
There's a town ahead that you've never seen
Maybe it's better if you get off there and try to
Forget everything
Abilene, Abilene
Oh Abilene, Abilene.
Dave Alvin's song Abilene is a story about a young woman who is leaving the Northwest to return to Texas on a bus. She has been surviving by dancing on tables to make rent and stay clean, and Dave's lyrics hint at an abusive home life. Memories of her father getting drunk and hitting her, and her mother being high on pills and talking to God, are still with her. Alvin compares these memories to tattoos that cannot be erased. She left home at just fifteen years old and has been trying to make a new life for herself ever since.
As she travels on the bus, the young woman dreams of the man she will meet in Austin, hoping that he will not turn out to be abusive like others she has encountered. Meanwhile, a man in a bar in Texas is reminiscing about a girl he had told he would wait for at the same bar. He remembers every lie he had told her and decides to leave.
Alvin's Abilene is a poignant song that tells a story of a woman who tries to escape an abusive home and move towards a better life, but it's not always as easy as it seems. Her journey is filled with uncertainty, loneliness, and fear, and it reflects the struggles many women face when trying to escape violent relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a greyhound bus
The story begins with a greyhound bus
Leavin' the great Northwest
The bus leaving the great Northwest and traveling down South to Texas
Takin' her tonight
The bus is leaving that night
Back down south to Texas
Heading south to Texas
She's been dancing' on tables
She's been working hard to make ends meet
To pay rent and be able
She's dancing on tables to afford a place to live
To just get by and maybe stay clean.
Her work enables her to just get by and hopefully lead a better life.
Abilene, Abilene
The singer repeats the name of the town that is the focus of the song.
Well her daddy'd get drunk
The singer talks about the artist's past.
Then he'd hit her hard
Her father was abusive.
And her mama'd lie in bed
Her mother was addicted to pills and was uninvolved.
High on pills and talkin' to God
The mother seems to be talking to God due to her drug-induced state.
But like her beautiful tattoos
The singer talks about the singer's tattoos.
These old memories she can't lose
The experiences that shaped her life are still vivid to her.
Since she ran away at fifteen.
She left home at a young age to escape her abusive family.
Starin' out the window
The artist is now on the bus, looking out the window.
At the long cold night
The night outside is cold and dark.
Ahead on the horizon
There are bright lights on the horizon that signify the next stop.
Is another string of bright lights
There is a town ahead of the singer.
She's dreamin' of a man she's goin' to meet
The artist is dreaming of a better future.
In a bar on an Austin street
She imagines meeting someone in a bar in Austin, Texas.
Maybe this one won't be so mean.
She hopes to find someone who is not abusive and cruel.
In a Texas bar there's a man sittin' alone
The singer introduces a new character.
Thinkin' of a girl he swore he'd wait there for
The man is thinking of a girl he promised to wait for.
But he's drinkin' beers and he's feelin' old
He's older now and dealing with his own issues.
Rememberin' every lie he's told
He's remembering his past mistakes and misleading words.
'Til he changes his mind and he leaves.
He chooses to leave and the singer continues her journey without him.
Oh Abilene, Abilene.
The singer repeats the name of the town once again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVE ALVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind