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.
Song For Jeffrey Lucey
Meg Hutchinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you'd lived that long
Your eyes are warm and kind on the evening news
There was a big celebration when you walked of that bus
With all your limbs intact we thought you'd made it back to us
And no one knew, what you'd been made to do over there
You were almost twenty-two when they shipped you out
With the sixth motor transport battalion
No place for a good kid just trying to pay for school
And no one knew, what you'd be made to do over there
Yellow ribbons still fluttering from the trees beside the house
Memory was a cancer that you could not live without
But you could not live with it
Oh... no you could not live with it
In the dark you held your flashlight, still listening for spiders
In the days you drank alone in your old room
Haunted always by the voices, by the jingling of the tags
Holding on to one little corner of that flag
And no one knew...
Yellow ribbons still fluttering from the trees beside the house
Made a pillow for your head and they laid you down
Oh they laid you down
Oh... oh they laid you down
And no one knew
What you'd been made to do
And all there love couldn't keep you
The song "Song for Jeffrey Lucey" by Meg Hutchinson is a heart-wrenching tribute to a young man who served in the military but tragically took his own life after returning home from his deployment in Iraq. The lyrics acknowledge the potential that Jeffrey Lucey had, stating that he would have been a great dad if he had lived long enough to have children. The song recounts the events of his return from Iraq, when he walked off the bus with all of his limbs intact and signs of celebration from his community. However, the song also alludes to the trauma and horrors that Jeffrey faced while deployed, which are not specified but heavily implied through the lyrics.
As the song progresses, the lyrics detail the effects of Jeffrey's PTSD upon his return home. He was haunted by the voices and sounds of war and struggled to cope with the memories. Hutchinson's words paint a picture of a man who was haunted by the experiences he faced, and who could not find a way to live with them. As the song comes to an end, Jeffrey's life is remembered as one that was cut short by the demons he couldn't escape.
Overall, "Song for Jeffrey Lucey" is a poignant tribute to a young man who served his country but who ultimately couldn't overcome the trauma he faced. Through this powerful song, Meg Hutchinson gives voice to the pains and struggles faced by so many veterans who return home with deep emotional scars.
Line by Line Meaning
You would've made a great dad
The singer believes that the person addressed would have been a great father.
If you'd lived that long
The singer implies that the person addressed did not live long enough to become a father.
Your eyes are warm and kind on the evening news
The singer is complimenting the person addressed for their kind eyes and referencing their media coverage after their death.
There was a big celebration when you walked of that bus
Upon the person addressed's return from deployment, there was a large celebration.
With all your limbs intact we thought you'd made it back to us
Despite the risks of combat, the artist and others expected the person addressed to return home unharmed based on their physical condition upon their return.
And no one knew, what you'd been made to do over there
The singer suggests that the person addressed was involved in events that were not disclosed to others.
You were almost twenty-two when they shipped you out
The person addressed was young when they were sent to war.
With the sixth motor transport battalion
The artist provides information about the specific military unit the person addressed was in.
Operation Freedom, also known as the war
The artist refers to the Iraq War, which was sometimes called Operation Freedom.
No place for a good kid just trying to pay for school
The artist implies that the person addressed may have joined the military for financial reasons and suggests that such a person may not have belonged in a war zone.
Yellow ribbons still fluttering from the trees beside the house
The singer references the common usage of tying yellow ribbons around trees or other objects as a symbol of support for deployed soldiers.
Memory was a cancer that you could not live without
The person addressed had painful memories from their time in combat that were impossible to forget.
But you could not live with it
The singer notes that the person addressed could not handle their painful memories or the trauma they experienced in war.
In the dark you held your flashlight, still listening for spiders
The singer offers a specific detail of the person addressed occupying themself in the dark by shining a flashlight and listening for spiders, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for their anxieties or coping mechanisms.
In the days you drank alone in your old room
The person addressed was alone and resorted to drinking in their old room as a way to cope with their traumatic experiences.
Haunted always by the voices, by the jingling of the tags
The person addressed suffered from PTSD and was plagued by the memories of their experiences that were triggered by things such as the sound of tags jingling on a dog's collar.
Holding on to one little corner of that flag
The person addressed found comfort in holding onto a small part of the American flag as a symbol of their service.
Made a pillow for your head and they laid you down
The yellow ribbons that had once been a symbol of support for the person addressed were now used as a makeshift pillow on their death bed.
And all their love couldn't keep you
Despite the love from friends and family, the person addressed ultimately could not overcome their mental struggles and died as a result.
And no one knew
The artist suggests that the person addressed suffered in silence and did not want to reveal the full extent of their trauma.
What you'd been made to do
The artist emphasizes the fact that the person addressed was involved in traumatic experiences that they did not choose.
Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
leperpathologic1
Meg's songs always go straight to my heart. I just hope she makes more and more and more ...