Jim McNeely (born 18 May 1949) is a Grammy-nominated jazz composer, arrange… Read Full Bio ↴Jim McNeely (born 18 May 1949) is a Grammy-nominated jazz composer, arranger, and pianist.

Jim was born in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois, and moved to New York City in 1975. In 1978 he joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. He spent six years as a featured soloist with that band and its successor, Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra (now The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra). 1981 saw the beginning of Jim’s 4-year tenure as pianist/composer with the Stan Getz Quartet. From 1990 until 1995 he held the piano chair in the Phil Woods Quintet. In 1996 he re-joined the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra as pianist and composer-in-residence, a position that he still holds. From 1998 to 2003 he was chief conductor of the Danish Radio (Danmarks Radio) Big Band. He also leads his own tentet, his own trio, and appears as soloist at concerts and festivals worldwide. He has recorded more than a dozen CDs under his own name, earning nine Grammy nominations between 1997 and 2006.

McNeely resides in Montclair, New Jersey. He serves as Adjunct Resident Artist in Jazz Studies at New York University, Adjunct Professor at William Paterson University, and musical director of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.

Get out of town
Jim McNeely Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get out of town
Before it's too late, my love
Get out of town
Be good to me, please

Why wish me harm?
Why not retire to a farm
And be contented to charm

The birds off the trees?

Just disappear
I care for you much too much
And when you're near, close to me, dear
We touch too much

The thrill when we meet is so bittersweet
That, darling, it's getting me down

So, on your mark, get set
Get out of town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jim McNeely's "Get Out of Town" talk about a love that is too intense and overwhelming to the point that the singer wishes that their lover leaves them. The singer warns their partner that they need to leave town before it's too late because they are too emotionally invested in the relationship. They urge the lover to go away so that they do not feel the pain of separation. The singer expresses how their strong feelings for their partner make it hard to resist each other and that they touch too much when together. However, they believe that if their partner doesn't leave, the intensity of their connection will continue to weigh them down.

The line "the thrill when we meet is so bittersweet, that, darling, it's getting me down" highlights the struggle of being in an intense relationship that is both thrilling and emotionally draining. The singer acknowledges their deep feelings but also knows that they are not healthy for either of them. The song's final line, "So, on your mark, get set, get out of town" illustrates the singer's desperation for their partner to leave. Despite their love for each other, sometimes separation is required for the sake of emotional well-being.

Line by Line Meaning

Get out of town
Leave this place

Before it's too late, my love
Hurry up, leave soon

Get out of town
Stay away from me

Be good to me, please
Show kindness to me

Why wish me harm?
Why cause me pain?

Why not retire to a farm
Why not go to a peaceful place?

And be contented to charm
And be happy to amuse

The birds off the trees?
The birds while sitting on trees?

Just disappear
Just vanish suddenly

I care for you much too much
I love you so much

And when you're near, close to me, dear
And when you are near me