Performing Songwriter calls Hutchinson, "...A master of introspective ballads filled with understated yearning and an exquisite sense of metaphor." The twenty-six year old describes her style as "lyric-based, folk-pop, with a whole lot of small town idealism and one devastating break up thrown in for good measure." Among her influences she is quick to include poet Mary Oliver along with the likes of David Grey, Patty Griffin, Greg Brown and Shawn Colvin. Her songs are characterized by a weathered but unselfconscious optimism, a love of language and of the natural world. Having grown up in a town of 5,000 people, "just outside the National Historic District," her songs possess all the charm of Lake Wobegon, tempered by a sweet and timeless voice.
Hard to Change
Meg Hutchinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Christmas lights up in the trailer park
And across the highway good Americans shop
There is a quiet dignity, yards tiny and clean
Small enough to just fall right through
The American dream
Year of the billion dollar bailout
Neighborhood of the graveyard shift
And all these things feel so hard to change
You know it used to snow here, now it only rains
I can barely hear you, over these machines
Turn 'em all off and tell me about your dreams
Driving south from New York City
Past Our Lady of Liberty
Toward the strange glow of the factories
Wanna hear the silence in my life
But I bought all these tools to save time
Well if they save so much then where's all mine?
Wanna be your new lover, wanna be your old friend
Don't wanna make the same mistakes that my parents did
And all these things feel so hard to change...
The song "Hard to Change" by Meg Hutchinson speaks of the difficulties and complexities of life and dreams that are hard to achieve. The first verse talks about a working-class neighbourhood, where there is a contrast between the Christmas lights and the dark train passing by. The next lines describe the Americana dream of owning a small house with a yard, but this utopian vision is just a facade that somehow seems to fall through. The second verse is about the crisis of capitalism and the devastating impact on the working-class people who suffer the most from it. The graveyard shift refers to working in a factory, which is often underpaid and monotonous. The lyrics also mention some kind of illegal business going on behind the dealerships.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of hopelessness and loss, describing how things are hard to change. The references to the snow that used to fall but now it only rains create a mood of nostalgia and melancholy. The singer seems to be yearning for a simple life, but she is caught up in the complexity and chaos of the modern world. The chorus emphasizes this feeling of helplessness and the struggle to overcome it. The singer asks her partner to turn off the machines and tell her about his dreams, implying a lack of communication and intimacy in their relationship.
Overall, "Hard to Change" is a poignant and introspective song that highlights the struggles of everyday life and the difficulty to achieve a simple dream. The lyrics are philosophical and poetic, exploring the complex emotions and experiences of the working-class people.
Line by Line Meaning
Train whistling home in the dark
A train is loudly announcing its return home in the dark
Christmas lights up in the trailer park
Amidst the darkness, there are bright Christmas lights decorating the trailer park
And across the highway good Americans shop
On the other side of the highway, hardworking Americans are shopping
There is a quiet dignity, yards tiny and clean
Despite modest living, there's an air of pride in the tidy and small yards
Small enough to just fall right through
The yards are so small that one could easily fall through them
The American dream
This scene represents the idealized American dream
Year of the billion dollar bailout
This is the year when billions of dollars were provided as a financial bailout
Neighborhood of the graveyard shift
This is a community where people work late into the night
Just a few blocks back behind the dealerships
Behind the car dealerships, there's a neighborhood struggling to make ends meet
And all these things feel so hard to change
All the struggles, dreams, and hardships mentioned feel nearly impossible to overcome
You know it used to snow here, now it only rains
The climate has changed in a way that takes away from the beauty of winter
I can barely hear you, over these machines
The sounds of machines are so deafening that it's difficult to hear someone speaking
Turn 'em all off and tell me about your dreams
The singer longs for a moment of peace to hear about their companion's hopes and aspirations
Driving south from New York City
The story moves from the bustling city to a quieter area in the south
Past Our Lady of Liberty
The journey involves passing the iconic Statue of Liberty
Toward the strange glow of the factories
The artist sees a strange light emanating from the factories in the distance
Wanna hear the silence in my life
The artist craves a moment of peace and quiet in their busy life
But I bought all these tools to save time
Despite wanting peace, the singer has purchased tools that only speed up their life
Well if they save so much then where's all mine?
The singer questions if the tools are really making their life better if they don't have time to enjoy it
Wanna be your new lover, wanna be your old friend
The artist hopes to form a deep and meaningful connection with their companion
Don't wanna make the same mistakes that my parents did
The artist wants to learn from past mistakes and not repeat them in their own relationships
And all these things feel so hard to change...
Again, the artist feels like change is so difficult to achieve in their life
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lalheavens3924
I had the honor and pleasure to mix Meg Hutchinson, who opened for Story Hill, in a small bar in Oregon. She is so lovely and kind, just like she sounds. Her ability to craft a song and entice the listener into the story is stunning. I loved her breathy vocal. She is truly a song smith and I found myself more listening than mixing the show. I NEVER do that, but that's the spell she weaves when she performs.
@JaneanChristineMariani
So grateful to listen and re-hear this beautiful song again, this morning. Thank you so much for this. Though I'll always treasure my favorite songs of the past, I'm very much looking forward to the new project when it's released. Thank you again. Sincerely, ~jcm
@43shende
Meg is authentic and incredibly kind.She sent me a cd of her first amazing album Against the Grey when I contacted her and asked for it! I saw her live in Northhampton Massachusetts back in 2001.I saw her sing her sntire album Against the Grey live and never looked back.
@henriqueslourenco
Greetings from Portugal! You wouldn't believe how long it took us to discover this jewel... Beautifull songs, beautifull lyrics, beautifull voice...
@jamesjenkins3384
Oh, yes, Meg always tells a folk story, no screaming or yelling, very settle, with deepening lyrics and notes. A true musician.
@amber3574
I absolutely LOVE her voice... The lyrics are amazing
@karn112153
I hunger for people who can convey their messages with raw and poignant music. Meg has it all.
@1Winoh
why does this not have at least a million views?
@jacicrimmccrary
What beautiful lyrics, sung in a beautiful and sincere voice! Meg is a great singer-songwriter talent who just needs to be discovered by the rest of the world. Where has she been hiding?
@gurlsingerfan
"There's a quiet dignity, yards tiny and clean, small enough to just fall right through the American dream"...many songwriters try forever to come up with a line like that...and then at 2:11 the song shifts from social commentary into this intimate little romantic song...making it almost two songs in one, connected but different. Wonderful, wonderful work.