The Very Thought of You
Nnenna Freelon Lyrics


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Seems that I read, or somebody said
That out of sight is out of mind
Maybe that's so but I tried to go
And leave you behind, what did I find

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

Two or three cars parked under the stars
A winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, same old dream

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

I peeked through the crack
And looked at the track
The one going back to you




And what did I do
I thought about you

Overall Meaning

In Nnenna Freelon's "The Very Thought of You," she reflects on the difficulty of moving on from an old love. The song starts by acknowledging the phrase "out of sight, out of mind." The singer admits to trying to forget about their former love interest, but they quickly acknowledge that it didn't work. As they take a train trip, they find themselves thinking about the person constantly. Even when they pass a "shadowy lane," they think about them. A winding stream and a moonlit town prompt them to dream the same old dream.


The singer realizes that they can't escape their feelings for this person, even if they try. They confess that they feel "blue" every time they pull down the shade in their train compartment. They even peek through the crack and look at the track going back to the person they left behind. In the end, the singer has to admit that they thought about this person constantly, even when they didn't want to. The lyrics are a poignant reminder that sometimes, love is simply too powerful to forget.


Line by Line Meaning

Seems that I read, or somebody said
It appears that I either read or heard from someone else


That out of sight is out of mind
When someone or something is not visible or present, they are easily forgotten


Maybe that's so but I tried to go
Although that may be true, I attempted to move on


And leave you behind, what did I find
And abandon you, what was the result


I took a trip on the train
I embarked on a journey by train


And I thought about you,
And my thoughts centered around you


I passed a shadowy lane
I went by an obscure, poorly lit street


And I thought about you,
And my mind went back to you


Two or three cars parked under the stars
Several vehicles stationed beneath the starry sky


A winding stream
A curving body of water


Moon shining down on some little town
The moon illuminating a small community


And with each beam, same old dream
And with every ray, an identical vision


At every stop that we made
On every occasion we paused


Oh, I thought about you
Oh, how you consumed my thoughts


But when I pulled down the shade
But upon closing the window blind


Then I really felt blue,
At that point, I truly felt melancholy


I peeked through the crack
I glanced through the narrow opening


And looked at the track
And examined the railroad trail


The one going back to you
The path leading to your location


And what did I do
And what was my response


I thought about you
I thought exclusively of 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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