Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
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Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town Lyrics
I seem to recognize your face
Haunting familiar, yet I can't seem to place it
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
Lifetimes are catchin' up with me
[Pre-Chorus 1]
All these changes takin' place, I wish I'd seen the place
But no one's ever taken me
[Chorus]
Hearts and thoughts, they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts, they fade, fade away
[Verse 2]
I swear I recognize your breath
Memories, like fingerprints, are slowly raisin'
Me, you wouldn't recall, for I'm not my former
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf
[Pre-Chorus 2]
I changed by not changin' at all, small town predicts my fate
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see
[Bridge]
I just wanna scream, "Hello!
My god, it's been so long, never dreamed you'd return
But now here you are, and here I am"
Hearts and thoughts, they fade away
About
The song reached number 17 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Vedder about “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town”:
It’s kind of about a lady, and she’s getting on in years, and she’s stuck in this small town. Small towns fascinate me: You either struggle like hell to get out, to some people want to stay ‘cause then they’re the big fish in the small pond, and then others just kind of get stuck there. So here she is working in this little place, and then an old flame comes in, and he’s probably driving a nice car and looking kind of sharp—not a fancy car, but he’s moved on. And then she sees him, and at first she doesn’t even remember who he is, and then she realizes who it is. She’s just too embarrassed to say 'hello.’
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
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