City
McGuinn Clark & Hillman 9010 Lyrics


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R. McGuinn-C. McGuinn

Left her home, came to town, ran around in the city
Lost some dreams, found some scenes, lost and found in the city
Met some men, just pretend she's in love in the city
Hurt pride long slide, try to hide in the city.

New day, cloud burst, real thirst in the city
Horns blare, people stare, gotta rush in the city
Sundown in the park and it's dark in the city
So cold, lost soul, needs a friend in the city.

She thought the lights in the buidings up high were so pretty
She couldn't see the twinkling of the eye in the city.

Hold on, hold fast
Stay tuned till the last
Night life brings its end
Daylight brings a friend.

Left her home, came to town, ran around in the city
Lost some dreams, found some scenes, lost and found in the city
Met some men, trusted them, she's in love in the city
So cold, lost hope, needs a friend in the city.

She thought the lights in the buidings up high were so pretty
She couldn't see the twinkling of the eye in the city.

Snow drift, wild wind
Long ago, loved it then
That was all in the past
Too bad, it couldn't last.

Hold on, hold fast
Stay tuned till the last




Night life brings its end
Daylight brings a friend.

Overall Meaning

The song City is a melancholic reflection on urban life and the stories of the people that get lost and found in its bright lights and its fast-paced streets. The lyrics portray a young woman who left her home for the city life, only to find that the excitement of the big city also brings pain and loneliness. She runs around, loses some dreams, finds some scenes and gets lost but also found in the city. She pretends to be in love with some men, yet she is hurt and tries to hide her pain. The second verse describes a new day, where the thirst for a better life is real, and the hustle of the city is on. The city is depicted as cold and uninviting, and the woman needs a friend to survive.


The chorus emphasizes the beauty that one can see from afar when the city is contemplated. The lights in the buildings up high are pretty, but they also hide the truth about the people living in the city. The bridge reflects on the past, when the snow drifts and the wild wind were a source of enjoyment, but that now seems like a distant memory. The song concludes with an ambiguous message about staying tuned and that night life brings its end, but daylight brings a friend.


Line by Line Meaning

Left her home, came to town, ran around in the city
She left her home and came to the city where she wandered around.


Lost some dreams, found some scenes, lost and found in the city
In the city, she lost some dreams but found new experiences and adventures.


Met some men, just pretend she's in love in the city
She meets some men in the city and pretends to be in love with them.


Hurt pride long slide, try to hide in the city.
She experienced a slide in her pride and tries to hide her emotions in the city.


New day, cloud burst, real thirst in the city
A new day begins, and with it comes a sudden rainstorm and a feeling of real thirst in the city.


Horns blare, people stare, gotta rush in the city
The sound of horns blaring and people staring makes her feel like she needs to rush in the city.


Sundown in the park and it's dark in the city
At sundown, she finds herself in a park that has become dark in the city.


So cold, lost soul, needs a friend in the city.
Feeling lost and cold, she longs for a friend while in the city.


She thought the lights in the buildings up high were so pretty
She admires the lights in the tall buildings of the city and finds them beautiful.


She couldn't see the twinkling of the eye in the city.
Despite the building lights, she realizes that she can't see the genuine emotion in people's eyes in the city.


Snow drift, wild wind
She remembers the snow drift and wild winds of the past.


Long ago, loved it then
Although it was in the past, she loved the snow drift and wild winds.


That was all in the past
Reflecting on her memories, she realizes that those moments have passed.


Too bad, it couldn't last.
She laments the fact that the past couldn't last forever.


Hold on, hold fast
She encourages herself to hold on and be strong.


Stay tuned till the last
She advises herself to keep going until the end.


Night life brings its end
The night life eventually comes to an end.


Daylight brings a friend.
With the start of a new day, she hopes to find a friend in the city.




Contributed by Gabriel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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