Everybody
J.B. Tenney Lyrics

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Where have the people gone
Seems like there's no one hangin' on
Look through the window
The houses are empty

Hey
Everybody's out of town
Seems like

I'm the only one around

All of the streets are bare
No traffic tie ups anywhere
Don't have to wait for a seat at the movies

Hey
Everybody's out of town
Seems like I'm the only one around

Everyone moved out from the ghetto
Lots of space
Empty apartments
No more pollution
Plenty of classrooms everyplace

And it looks like we're ready
To give it one more try
This time there'll be no alibis
I'm gonna send out a message to Noah

Hey
Better send some people down

Everyone on earth
Is out of town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to J.B. Tenney’s “Everybody” paint a forlorn picture of a deserted city. The singer notes that it feels like there are no people around anymore; he looks through the windows of houses and sees that they are empty. Despite the barren roads, he manages to find solace in the fact that there are no traffic tie-ups and that he doesn’t have to wait for seats at the movies. Later, he alludes to the fact that the reason for the emptiness is that everyone has moved out of the ghetto, leaving plenty of empty classrooms and apartments. The song concludes on a more hopeful note, as the singer decides to send a message to Noah to bring more people to the city to give it another chance.

One possible interpretation of these lyrics is that they reflect a sense of alienation and detachment from society. The singer seems to be observing the city from a distance, and his observations suggest that he feels disconnected from the people around him. He takes solace in the emptiness of the city, which suggests that he feels overwhelmed or oppressed by the noise and busyness of urban life. At the same time, however, the song ends on a more optimistic note, suggesting that the singer has a kind of faith in humanity and in the possibility of creating a better, more supportive community.

Line by Line Meaning

Where have the people gone
Wondering where everybody is

Seems like there's no one hangin' on
It appears that nobody is sticking around

Look through the window
Looking outside through the window

The houses are empty
All the houses are deserted

Hey
An exclamation of surprise

Everybody's out of town
Everyone seems to have left the town

Seems like
It appears as though

I'm the only one around
I seem to be the only one present

All of the streets are bare
All the streets are empty

No traffic tie ups anywhere
There's no traffic congestion anywhere

Don't have to wait for a seat at the movies
There's no need to queue up for a movie ticket