John Mellencamp – Small Town

• -3
  General Comment:Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

  Flag emuInAmuumuuon April 23, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:I'm from a small suburb, in a small city, in a small country. For me, this song is about everybody knowing you, your folks and your history. Because you're part of something bigger. Bigger not by much, but enough.
  
  The small town thing echoes not only across America, but here I am in NZ. Our biggest city has 1.5 million people, so we're a small town sorta place. For me, this song is about growing up in a place that isn't anonymous. I grew up in a small community, that suddenly became a reasonable sized city when I realised how many places fed into it. But people still know who my folks are, and where they live. Mellencamp is referring to the familiar things about our childhood, the things outsiders remember.
  
  Great song about growing up in a little community - even if your little community lives inside a big city.

  Flag megznzon May 20, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +2
  General Comment:This song mnakes me appreciate my small town all the more

  Flag lanticon November 08, 2009   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +2
  General Comment:I love this song! It perfectly describes the advantages of a small town. The sense of individuality, and freedom from being judged by people. THe thing about a small town is that there are so little people, that everyone knows everyone and is close with them because there aren't many people to be close to. There's less gossip, hate, crime, traffic, noise... It feels more FREE.

  Flag SuperAnneon July 23, 2009   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    -1

    i like this song. small towns = more gossip and more judgments. you can hide in big cities or blend in. but i wish i had grown up in melloncamps small town

    Flag spinachsaladon October 13, 2011  
• +1
  General Comment:Small towns are definitely what you make of them - if you live in a town, well even if you live in the city, if youre not involved in the community, and if you dont have friends and family and people you love and care about there then chances are youre gonna hate it and want to get out. then it becomes a whole 'the grass is greener on the other side' which is a situation its very easy to find yourself in, i know i'm feeling that now... its very easy to blame an entire town and the people in it... but yeah so evidently the city will provide more opportunity, especially nowadays, but you wont necessarily be happier. which is not really the message of this song, its not really comparing the city to the small town, its just mellencamp's reflection on his roots really...probably more simple than i think. but you can never be quite sure with songwriters, they tend to have a hidden meaning in many of their songs, or little clues that suggest that the song holds deeper meaning for them.

  Flag thirsty_thursdayon November 25, 2008   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +1
  General Comment:I'm from a small town in Wisconsin, and I can definately relate to this song as well. I could pick apart this whole song and relate it to things in my hometown, but I don't want to bore anyone. :)

  Flag brewercrazyon June 15, 2008   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +2
  General Comment:One of the things I love about this song is that it captures a sense of place, belonging and community that he identifies with small towns. But that feeling is not limited just to small towns.
  
  I grew up in a large Midwestern city that is full of neighborhoods that people describe as being a lot like small towns...multiple generations living close by, friends who gre up together and know each other their whole lives, etc. I think this line captures that sense of community perfectly:
  
  "I cannot forget where it is that I come from. I cannot forget the people who love me. Yeah I can be myself here in this small town and people let me be just what I want to be."

  Flag GeneralDisorderon May 26, 2008   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:it's fitting cuz mellencamp is from a small town in indiana

  Flag flaminmofoon November 09, 2007   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:This was the campaign theme song for Senator John Edwards (D-NC) for his failed 2004 presidential campaign. Edwards is a native of the small town of Robbins, North Carolina and this song fit into his theme of "two Americas".

  Flag Blue387on February 02, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:Makes me want to move to a small town and forget the hassles of business life.

  Flag tradrrron June 12, 2002   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!