Formed in 1978 in London, the original band Hynde, lead and rhythm guitarist James Honeyman-Scott (died 1982), bassist Pete Farndon (died 1983), and drummer Martin Chambers. Save for Hynde, a native of Akron, Ohio, the original band members were all from the U.K. This band was fractured by the drug-related deaths of Honeyman-Scott and Farndon. Since then, numerous subsequent personnel changes have taken place over the years, with Hynde as the sole constant.
With Hynde at the helm, the band experienced a critical resurgence with a trio of albums released between the mid-90s and early 00s that explored a more mature side of the band’s classic sound.
In 2008, the Pretenders' album Break Up the Concrete was released through Shangri-La Music. It was the band's first Top 40 album in the US in 22 years.
In September 2012, as part of the entertainment line-up for the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix, the Pretenders re-grouped with Hynde and Chambers from the original line-up, along with Nick Wilkinson, James Walbourne and Eric Heywood.
My City Was Gone
The Pretenders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my city was gone
There was no train station
There was no downtown
South Howard had disappeared
All my favorite places
My city had been pulled down
Reduced to parking spaces
Well I went back to Ohio
But my family was gone
I stood on the back porch
There was nobody home
I was stunned and amazed
My childhood memories
Slowly swirled past
Like the wind through the trees
A, o, oh way to go Ohio
I went back to Ohio
But my pretty countryside
Had been paved down the middle
By a government that had no pride
The farms of Ohio
Had been replaced by shopping malls
And Muzak filled the air
From Seneca to Cuyahoga falls
Said, a, o, oh way to go Ohio
The Pretenders' song "My City Was Gone" is a lament for the loss of native landscapes and hometown memories from the lead singer, Chrissie Hynde perspective. The song was officially released in 1982 as part of their Learning to Crawl album. The song is a nostalgic ode to Ohio, particularly Akron – where Chrissie grew up, though it also chronicles her dismay and surprise at the significant change that occurred in the city over the years.
The opening verse uses imagery to describe how everything that Chrissie cherished about her hometown of Akron had vanished. She finds the place unrecognizable- the train station, downtown, South Howard Avenue are all wiped out, and her favorite places have disappeared, replaced with parking lots. The chorus, “a, o, way to go Ohio,” expresses her sadness and regret about the condition of her hometown.
The second verse is about Chrissie's family's absence - they've left, and there's nobody left to greet her when she returns to her childhood home. The lyrics describe her as being "stunned and amazed" by how everything's changed – she feels like she's coming back to a stranger's house. Her childhood memories swirl slowly past her like a wind through the trees.
The final verse describes the consequences of uncontrolled development and urbanization in Chrissie's homestate. The pretty countryside she remembers is now gone, paved down the middle by a government that has no pride. The farmland began to vanish, swallowed up by commercial development and shopping malls. The last line, “said, a, o, oh way to go Ohio," represents Chrissie's resignation to the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I went back to Ohio
The singer returned to her home state of Ohio
But my city was gone
The city she grew up in had drastically changed
There was no train station
The city's transportation infrastructure was lacking
There was no downtown
The central business district had vanished
South Howard had disappeared
A specific neighborhood or street that had been important to the singer was no longer there
All my favorite places
The places where the singer had fond memories were no longer there
My city had been pulled down
The city had been destroyed or completely transformed
Reduced to parking spaces
The city had been turned into a place for empty cars
A, o, way to go Ohio
An expression of disappointment or frustration with Ohio
Well I went back to Ohio
The singer returned to Ohio once again
But my family was gone
The singer's family was no longer present in the state
I stood on the back porch
The singer stood outside the house where she grew up
There was nobody home
No one was there to greet the singer
I was stunned and amazed
The changed landscape was shocking to the singer
My childhood memories
Memories from the singer's youth
Slowly swirled past
The memories came flooding back
Like the wind through the trees
The memories were like a natural force
A, o, oh way to go Ohio
The disappointment with Ohio returns
I went back to Ohio
The singer made yet another trip to Ohio
But my pretty countryside
The natural beauty of Ohio had been altered
Had been paved down the middle
A road had been built down the center of the countryside
By a government that had no pride
The government was responsible for the destruction of the countryside
The farms of Ohio
Once thriving agricultural areas in Ohio
Had been replaced by shopping malls
The farms had been turned into commercial spaces
And Muzak filled the air
Generic, background music could be heard everywhere
From Seneca to Cuyahoga falls
This change had occurred throughout the state
Said, a, o, oh way to go Ohio
The disappointment and frustration with Ohio continued
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTINE HYNDE, DAVE BROCK, N. TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Supreme Ali
I love that lady. She's so amazing
Jeff Conway
Gets to sing a song about her city located in OHIO at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that's also located in OHIO! Doesn't get better than that!
chevtrukman
At exactly 12:07pm, every talk radio station on the east coast should blast this song!
Steve Falkowitz
RST Rush Standard Time
Steve Ryan
💀 💀 =Rush
Genda Minoru
Amen
HOSS
and then donate to PETA
Todd Michel
13:08 Every Monday thru Friday on WHO 1040. To this day I miss it.
Gerard Gerard
She puts out good music
Jorge Domeniconi
Dont stop!!! Chrissie!!!!