Person grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and first played piano before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at South Carolina State College where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999.
In the United States Air Force, he joined a service band stationed in West Germany, and played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. He later continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.
He first became known for a series of albums for Prestige Records in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the vocalist Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring, and for much of his career this association was what he was best known for. They first met playing in organist Johnny Hammond's band.
There are more than 75 albums recorded by Houston Person as a bandleader, on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, Savoy, and Muse Records, and he has most recently been recording on HighNote Records. He has recorded with Grant Green, Charles Brown, Bill Charlap, Charles Earland, Lena Horne, Etta Jones, Lou Rawls, Horace Silver, Dakota Staton, Billy Butler, Richard "Groove" Holmes and others.
Talk Of The Town
Houston Person Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were more than sweethearts,
It's so hard to understand.
Don't know why it happened,
Don't know how it started,
Why should we be strangers,
After all we planned.
I can't show my face,
Can't go anyplace,
People stop an' stare,
It's so hard to bear,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
Every time we meet,
My heart skips a beat,
We don't stop to speak,
'Though it's just a week,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
We send out invitations,
To friends and relations,
Announcing our weddin' day
Friends and our relations,
Gave congratulations,
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town, hm
It's the talk of the town.
The lyrics of Houston Person's song "It's the Talk of the Town" convey the pain and confusion of a broken love affair. The singer laments the end of their relationship, saying that they were more than just lovers or sweethearts, but now they are strangers. They don't understand why it happened, or how it started, and they feel embarrassed and exposed because "everybody knows" that their partner has left them. The pain is so great that the singer can't face people and feels like they are being stared at.
Despite the hurt that the singer feels, there is a note of hope towards the end of the song. They ask their partner to put aside their pride and reconcile, saying that their love is too strong to be ended. This theme of reconciliation is reflected in the lyrics that describe the couple sending out invitations to their wedding and receiving congratulatory messages from friends and family. The contrast between these happy memories and the current state of the relationship highlights the depth of the pain that the singer is feeling.
In "It's the Talk of the Town," Houston Person has created a powerful and emotional portrait of love's aftermath. The song captures the sense of loss and confusion that can come when a relationship ends, while also pointing towards the possibility of healing and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
We were more than lovers,
Our relationship was more than just physical attraction.
We were more than sweethearts,
Our relationship was based on a deep emotional connection.
It's so hard to understand.
The reasons behind the end of our relationship are confusing and difficult to comprehend.
Don't know why it happened,
I don't understand why our relationship ended.
Don't know how it started,
I'm not sure how our relationship began.
Why should we be strangers,
It doesn't make sense for us to be strangers after everything we shared.
After all we planned.
We had made plans for our future together.
I can't show my face,
I'm ashamed and embarrassed.
Can't go anyplace,
I feel like I can't leave my home or show myself in public.
People stop an' stare,
Others are curious and gossip about us.
It's so hard to bear,
It's difficult and painful to deal with.
Everybody knows you left me,
Our breakup is known by everyone in our community.
Every time we meet,
Whenever we see each other.
My heart skips a beat,
I still have strong feelings for you.
We don't stop to speak,
We avoid talking to each other.
'Though it's just a week,
Even though it hasn't been very long since we broke up.
We send out invitations,
We invited people to our wedding.
To friends and relations,
To our loved ones and family members.
Announcing our weddin' day
We were excited to share the news about our upcoming marriage.
Gave congratulations,
Our friends and family members were happy for us and gave us well wishes.
How can you face them?
How can you face our friends and family after breaking up with me?
What can you say?
What explanation can you give for our sudden separation?
Let's make up sweetheart,
Let's reconcile and get back together.
We can't stay apart,
Our love is too strong to be separated.
Don't let foolish pride,
Don't let stubbornness and ego get in the way of our relationship.
Keep you from my side,
Don't let anything keep us from being together.
How can love like ours be ended?
Our love was too strong for it to have ended so suddenly.
It's the talk of the town
Our breakup has become a subject of gossip and discussion in our community.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL J NEIBURG, JERRY LEVINSON, MARTY SYMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind