Had a Good Reason
Unraveling Life's Choices: Patty Griffin's 'Had a Good Reason'
Lyrics
I guess you're never gonna come back for me Ma With a suitcase of pretty dresses and shoes
I feel abandoned, and you, Ma, won't return for me with a suitcase of dresses and shoes.
One for you and one for me, Ma
There's a division, symbolized by the two dresses - one for you and one for me, Ma.
and perfume for the ladies looking after me too
Perfume for the ladies implies care for those looking after me in your absence.
There was a chair beside the door
A chair by the door suggests anticipation and waiting for your return.
I wished you'd walk through
I long for your presence, hoping you'd walk through that door.
Wearing your sad eyes of brown
Describing the mother's eyes as sad, possibly reflecting her emotional state.
You'd stand beside me and we'd wind the victrola And sing along together
Imagining a shared moment of joy, winding the victrola and singing together.
Make the sweetest sounds
The combined effort creating the sweetest sounds, expressing the warmth of the past.
I used to think it might be who I am
Reflecting on self-identity and wondering if it contributed to the separation.
Maybe who I am wasn't right
Doubting the appropriateness of one's identity, possibly a source of conflict.
And I'd wonder if you missed me the same way Lonely day after lonely night
Questioning if the mother feels the same loneliness during their separation.
But I know you must have had a good reason You had a good reason alright
Acknowledging that the mother must have had a valid reason for leaving.
I guess you're never gonna see me a shining
Acceptance of not being recognized while achieving success and fame.
All the lines of people winding around the block The world is mine and it's a microphone in my hand Singing with the band Ma
Being celebrated by the world with a microphone in hand, but longing for maternal connection.
The toast of the town
Acknowledging personal success as "the toast of the town."
Sometimes I think I see you out there a smiling Your pretty sad eyes singing along
Imagining the mother enjoying the success, represented by her smiling sad eyes.
And all at once I'm a bird with no ceiling
Feeling limitless and free like a bird, possibly a contrast to past constraints.
A voice and feeling like I'll never come down
Experiencing a sense of euphoria, a voice and feeling that seems everlasting.
I used to think it might be who I am
Revisiting the theme of self-identity and questioning its correctness.
Maybe who I am wasn't right
Doubting the alignment of personal identity with the right path.
And I'd wonder if you missed me the same way Lonely day after lonely night
Wondering if the mother misses the narrator in the same way during lonely moments.
But I know you must have had a good reason You had a good reason alright
Reiterating the belief that the mother had a valid and justified reason for her actions.
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