John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded … Read Full Bio ↴John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others. From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were among the most popular hits of the time. He wrote the lyrics to more than fifteen hundred songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. Mercer was also a co-founder of Capitol Records.

I Thought About You
Johnny Mercer Lyrics

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I took a trip on a train
And I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane
And I thought about you

Two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town

And with each beam, the same old dream

And every stop that we made
Oh, I thought about you
And when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue

I peeped through the crack
Looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you

There were two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream

And then I peeped through the crack
And I looked at the track

Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you

Overall Meaning

The song "I Thought About You" by Johnny Mercer is a classic ballad about longing for a lost love while on a journey. The lyricist describes taking a train trip and passing a shadowy lane, which reminds them of their lost love. Even when passing by picturesque scenes of moonlit towns and streams, they cannot help but think of their love. The lyricist's sadness is palpable when they pull down the shade and succumb to their blue feelings. However, their thoughts of returning to their love buoy their spirits. The song ultimately conveys the message that it is hard to escape the memory of a lost love, especially when traveling.

This song is a masterful example of Johnny Mercer's gift for storytelling through songwriting. He perfectly captures the emotion of longing and the difficulty of moving on from past relationships. Mercer uses simple, yet poignant language to convey the universal feeling of missing someone we once loved. The repetition of the phrase "I thought about you" creates a wistful and introspective tone that carries throughout the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I took a trip on a train
I boarded a train and traveled to someplace different

And I thought about you
I constantly thought about you during my journey

I passed a shadowy lane
I went past a dimly lit path on my way, which reminded me of you

And I thought about you
You were on my mind even as I passed the shadowy lane

Two or three cars parked under the stars
I saw two or three vehicles parked outside under the night sky

Winding stream
I saw a stream that followed a curved path

Moon shining down on some little town
The moonlight illuminated a small town nearby

And with each beam, the same old dream
Every time I saw the moonlight, I dreamt of the same old things

And every stop that we made
Whenever the train made a stop on the journey

Oh, I thought about you
My thoughts would inevitably drift to you during each stop

And when I pulled down the shade
When I drew the window covering, blocking the outside view

Then I really felt blue
I started feeling sad and gloomy

I peeped through the crack
I peeked outside through a small gap in the window covering

Looked at the track
I saw the railroad tracks moving below me

Oh I'm going back to you
I was excited to return to you

And what did I do, I thought about you
All the while, I couldn't help but think about you

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Van Heusen, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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