On Grafton Street
Frances Black Lyrics
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The elbows push you 'round
It's not my place of memories
I'm a stranger in this town
The faces seem familiar
I know the songs they're playing
I close my eyes and find myself
Five thousand miles away
You're the one I never thought
I could live without
And I've just found this smile to think about you
You're a Saturday night
Far from the madding crowd
The buskers sing by candlelight
In front of Bewley's store
A young nun offers me a chair
At a table by the door
And I feel compelled to tell her
Of the sisters that we knew
How when they lit their candles
I'd say a prayer for you
It's funny how my world goes round without you
You're the one I never thought I could live without
And I've just found this smile to think about you
You're a Saturday night
Far from the madding crowd
The church bells ring for holy hour
And I'm back out in the rain
It's been
twenty years or more now
Since I last said your name
I hear you live near Dallas
In a house out on the plains
Why Grafton Street brought you to mind
I really can't explain
It's funny how my world goes round without you
You're the one I never thought I could live without
And I've just found this smile to think about you
You're a Saturday night
Far from the madding crowd
On Grafton street at Christmas time
The elbows push you 'round
All I carry now are memories
I'm a stranger in this town
Frances Black's "On Grafton Street" at Christmas time captures the feelings of the singer, who is walking down the popular shopping street in Dublin, Ireland. The song is about the singer's memories of a past love, and the emotions she experiences when she is in a familiar location that reminds her of that person. She walks past places they used to frequent, offering a candid insight into the complexity of love and its aftermath.
The singer notes how she is a stranger in this town, even though she knows the faces and songs being played. She closes her eyes and finds herself five thousand miles away, indicating how overwhelming the nostalgia can be. The singer's life still goes on without the former love, but she realizes that the memories of the past keep keep coming back to her. She remarks how funny it is that she always believed she could never live without her loved one, yet years later, she found a smile to remember her by.
The tempo of the song is slow, accompanied by guitar strums, and the singer's voice is melancholic yet beautiful. The descriptive, poetic language in the lyrics captures the feelings of longing, pain, and nostalgia. It is a tribute to the kind of love that is difficult to forget, even though years have passed.
Line by Line Meaning
On Grafton street at Christmas time
Frances Black is on Grafton Street during the holiday season.
The elbows push you 'round
The crowded street makes it difficult to walk without being jostled.
It's not my place of memories
Grafton Street doesn't hold personal significance for Frances Black.
I'm a stranger in this town
Frances Black doesn't feel familiar with this place.
The faces seem familiar
Though the people are strangers, they look familiar.
I know the songs they're playing
Frances Black recognizes the music being played by buskers.
I close my eyes and find myself / Five thousand miles away
A memory transports Frances Black to a far away place.
It's funny how my world goes round without you / You're the one I never thought / I could live without / And I've just found this smile to think about you / You're a Saturday night / Far from the madding crowd
Frances reflects on the realization that she can live without someone who was once important to her. She thinks of this person fondly, as the memory brings a smile to her face. This person is compared to a fun Saturday night, far from chaos and drama.
The buskers sing by candlelight / In front of Bewley's store
Street performers play music with the aid of candlelight outside Bewley's store.
A young nun offers me a chair / At a table by the door
A young nun gestures for Frances to come sit at a table by the door.
And I feel compelled to tell her / Of the sisters that we knew / How when they lit their candles / I'd say a prayer for you
Frances tells the nun of nuns she and the person she's thinking about knew. She reveals that she prayed for the person whenever she saw the candles the nuns lit.
The church bells ring for holy hour / And I'm back out in the rain
Church bells ring to remind people of the time for holy hour; Frances returns to the rain outside.
It's been twenty years or more now / Since I last said your name
Frances hasn't mentioned this person's name in two decades or more.
I hear you live near Dallas / In a house out on the plains
Frances has heard that the person she's thinking of resides in a plain's house in the vicinity of Dallas.
Why Grafton Street brought you to mind / I really can't explain
Frances doesn't know why Grafton Street reminded her of this person.
All I carry now are memories / I'm a stranger in this town
Frances carries only memories with her, and thus feels like an outsider in this city.
Writer(s): Nanci Griffith, Fred Koller
Contributed by Zoe B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Henry Erasmus
Frances Black
I hide behind my smile
I hide behind my tears
A single word
One smile
Will it cure this world
Singing is dancing in the rain
Drops of water on the window
Reflect the tears in my heart
Leave it running
Somehow it will dry
But it will leave a mark
Scars are like paint
On a rock or tree
Every one will see
Where past and present will meet
Lord it is only You
My Rock
My strong Tower
My Saviour
blindingrunt
BRILLIANT,A VOICE TO DIE FOR.
Robert Dickson
A voice that could haunt a soul👌
Christine Deverell
Wonderful, unique voice
Jon Holford
A lovely version of a beautiful song. Thanks for the posting.
eilslove
Class lady, class song, beautiful voice, thanks for posting.
m5177
i'm a huge nanci griffith fan but this version is better than the original :)
Dian Kendrick
Frances Black's is my favorite version of this lovely song.
Xxiicurtis
love her version! :):)
John Henry Erasmus
Frances Black
I hide behind my smile
I hide behind my tears
A single word
One smile
Will it cure this world
Singing is dancing in the rain
Drops of water on the window
Reflect the tears in my heart
Leave it running
Somehow it will dry
But it will leave a mark
Scars are like paint
On a rock or tree
Every one will see
Where past and present will meet
Lord it is only You
My Rock
My strong Tower
My Saviour
Heddie Hornstrup
So beautiful - fantastic.