In Your Town
Rory Gallagher live Lyrics
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Look out baby, your man is back in town
Look out baby, I won't stand no messinround
The first man I wanna see is the Chief Police,
bring that man right over here
I wanna speak (?) my peace
I wanna 'cause no trouble, no fuzz, no fight,
The second man I wanna see is the old fire chief,
bring that man right over here
Stand him right in front of me
I wanna cause no trouble, no fuzz, no fight
see this match, I might set this place alight
So look out...
The third man I wanna see is the old D.A.,
he was the man who sent me away
Twenty two years, twenty three days, twenty four minutes
I was locked away
You come along baby, ask me where I've been,
up-the-river-holiday (?), up in Sing Sing
One cold floor, four bare walls,
that's all they gave me, nothing else at all
Sing Sing, Sing Sing, Sing Sing,
when I came out I could not feel a thing...
Now I'm back in your town,
in your town, in your town, in your town...
The lyrics of Rory Gallagher's song "In Your Town" can be interpreted to tell the story of a man who returns to his hometown and seeks his revenge on the people who sent him to prison. The repetition of the line "Look out baby, your man is back in town" creates a sense of warning to those who have wronged him. He also states that he "won't stand no messin' 'round", showing that he is not to be messed with.
Throughout the song, he mentions three people he wants to see: the Chief Police, the old fire chief, and the old D.A. He wants to speak to each of them individually and cause no trouble, but he also warns them to be careful around him on a Saturday night. The mention of the match he is holding suggests that he may be willing to start a fire if pushed too far.
The final verse reveals that he has just been released from a lengthy prison sentence and has returned to the town where he was sent away. The repetition of "Sing Sing" emphasizes the length of his imprisonment and the harsh conditions he faced. He concludes by saying that he is back in town, implying that he has come to seek his revenge.
Overall, the lyrics of "In Your Town" convey a sense of anger, warning, and a desire for justice. The repetition of certain lines emphasizes the intensity of the situation and the determination of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Look out baby, your man is back in town
I am back in town and you better watch out for me, baby.
I won't stand no messin' around
I won't tolerate any nonsense or foolishness.
The first man I wanna see is the Chief Police, bring that man right over here, I wanna speak (?) my peace
I need to speak with the Chief of Police and express myself.
I wanna 'cause no trouble, no fuzz, no fight, but you look out man, you know this is Saturday night
I don't want any problems but this is a weekend night, so be aware of the possibilities.
The second man I wanna see is the old fire chief, bring that man right over here, stand him right in front of me
I also need to speak with the Fire Chief and confront him.
See this match, I might set this place alight
I could start a fire with this match if provoked.
The third man I wanna see is the old D.A., he was the man who sent me away; twenty-two years, twenty-three days, twenty-four minutes, I was locked away
I have been away for a significant amount of time due to the actions of the District Attorney.
You come along baby, ask me where I've been; up-the-river-holiday (?), up in Sing Sing; one cold floor, four bare walls, that's all they gave me, nothing else at all; Sing Sing, Sing Sing, Sing Sing, when I came out I could not feel a thing…
When you ask me where I've been, I will tell you that I was in Sing Sing prison, living in harsh conditions with nothing but a floor and walls. Now that I'm out, I feel numb to everything.
Now I'm back in your town, in your town, in your town, in your town…
I have returned to this town, ready to confront those who wronged me in the past and take control of my life once again.
Contributed by Evan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Divine Spark
It's almost impossible to compete with this. The guy was insanely talented, both on guitar and vocally. A lot of people, sadly, overlook how good a singer he was. An absolute superstar and true gent. God bless you, Rory!
Gerard Washack
I seen Rory twice, once in Germany while I was in the Army and once in New Jersey. Both times he had his red checkered flannel shirt on. Unbelievable musician!
Gussy T
The tone that he gets using absolutely no pedals, is beyond compare. Rory is so under appreciated and needs to be mentioned a hell of a lot more. In this song, his slide work is absolutely incredible. I would say that he is up there with Duane Allman, but he is so uniquely different. This style of playing can only be classified as-------well---------Rory.
Blues Oddity
I love Duane but I think Rory is better...and in fairness, Rory had a longer career. Duane could've done done much more as he was brilliant. ☺️
Asim Rashid Kayani
Rory... he was "last of the independents"
RONNIE WALL
BACK WHEN IT WAS ABOUT TALENT NOW ITS HOW FAST
murkybongwater
I believe he did use a single treble booster but point taken
Nicky O Gorman
When you turn down mick jagger to join the stones,you don't need anyone....
heartofthesunrise
No one can touch the level of true dedication this man had. And you can easily feel that by watching just one performance of him. He gives 100% in every live performance. We are all blessed to listen to his music.
Brandon Hofmann
Amen