Jason Isbell is an alt-country singer /songwriter /guitarist from Muscle Sh… Read Full Bio ↴Jason Isbell is an alt-country singer /songwriter /guitarist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Best known for his years with the Drive-By Truckers where he played with his then wife, bassist Shonna Tucker. Isbell - who joined the Truckers in 2001 - left the band in early 2007 around the same time as his divorce from Tucker was finalized.

In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Isbell is regarded as an exceptional guitar player. His style is mostly in the alt-country genre, but is also infused with rock and blues elements.

Jason Isbell's debut solo album Sirens from the Ditch was released on July 10th, 2007, on New West Records. With his band The 400 Unit, he toured in support of this release in the US and Canada during the summer and fall of 2007. Both Isbell and the band released a follow-up album, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit on February 17, 2009.

In A Razor Town
Jason Isbell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In a razor town
You take whoever you think you can keep around.
There's an echoed sound
That permeates the sidewalk where she shuffles 'round.
It's a big machine.
It used to be the avenue of changing dreams.
She's a lonely thing,
Sweeping up the glitter while she pulls the strings.

Take a long last look
Before she turns to stone
What the last man took
And what was long, long gone.

The way it used to be,
I wasn't there to see it working properly.
Now it seems to me
Both of you are suffering.
I've heard her say
That you're the only reason she's alive today.
I just turned away
Thinking maybe she was right.

So say your last goodbye.
Make it short and sweet
There ain't no way to fly
With her hanging on your feet.

Let her go out if she wants to.
If she don't, go out yourself.
Don't take sorry for an answer
Unless you really want what's left.

'Cause in a razor town
The only thing that matters tends to bring you down.
There's no way around,

But maybe you can barrel through
'Cause a razor ain't no good for you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jason Isbell's song "In A Razor Town" seem to describe a sad and lonely woman in a town that is unforgiving and unfriendly. The first verse describes the atmosphere of the town by referring to it as a "razor town" and suggesting that one has to keep the company of whoever they can, indicating that options are limited. The second line talks about an "echoed sound" that permeates the sidewalks, which gives the impression of this woman shuffling around with no destination or purpose. The lines that follow these are quite powerful in revealing the setting and mood of the song by painting a picture of a town that is a "big machine", but at the same time, it is "lonely" and suppresses the dreams of its inhabitants. The woman of interest in this song is described as "sweeping up the glitter while she pulls the strings", which metaphorically implies that she is doing things that other people want or need, but instead of receiving praise or recognition, she is stuck in this town, invisible and unable to escape.

The rest of the song advises focusing on letting go of a certain someone who is bringing you down. The line "Take a long last look before she turns to stone" evokes an image of someone who is either drained or becoming unfeeling. The song then talks about a past in which everything was better, but the present is miserable for everyone, including the woman who is suffering. The importance of the relationship between the singer and the woman is emphasized through the line "That you're the only reason she's alive today." However, instead of comforting her, he turns away, hence the line "I just turned away, thinking maybe she was right." The chorus emphasizes the importance of letting go and leaving, indicating that it's better to do so, whether the woman decides to come along or not.

Line by Line Meaning

In a razor town
In a place where danger lurks at every corner

You take whoever you think you can keep around.
People are commodities to be used and kept in a razor town

There's an echoed sound That permeates the sidewalk where she shuffles 'round.
The woman is downtrodden and beaten, and her steps echo her desolation

It's a big machine.
It's a system that grinds people down without regard to their well-being

It used to be the avenue of changing dreams.
The town was once a beacon of hope where people dreamed of a better future

She's a lonely thing, Sweeping up the glitter while she pulls the strings.
The woman has a thankless job that leaves her feeling isolated, yet she holds power over others

Take a long last look Before she turns to stone What the last man took And what was long, long gone.
Be aware of what has been lost and cannot be reclaimed before it's too late

The way it used to be, I wasn't there to see it working properly.
The artist did not experience the town in its glory days

Now it seems to me Both of you are suffering.
Everyone in the town is affected by its harshness

I've heard her say That you're the only reason she's alive today.
The woman relies on someone else for her emotional survival

I just turned away Thinking maybe she was right.
The singer feels guilty that he didn't do more to help the woman

So say your last goodbye. Make it short and sweet There ain't no way to fly With her hanging on your feet.
Leave while you still can and don't let anyone hold you back

Let her go out if she wants to. If she don't, go out yourself. Don't take sorry for an answer Unless you really want what's left.
Don't let anyone's inability to leave hold you back

'Cause in a razor town The only thing that matters tends to bring you down.
The town's harshness will consume you if you don't fight it

There's no way around, But maybe you can barrel through 'Cause a razor ain't no good for you.
The only way to survive is to fight and persevere, because the town will destroy you otherwise

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jason Isbell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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