TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK

Patti Scialfa's album version

[Album version:]

They say love
A love has its very own light
That can shine through the darkest night
That we've heard of
And that light
That you may want so much
Well maybe you can never touch
Though you may try
Now at night I dream
I'm all alone
Big sledgehammer and a cold dark stone
Man swing the hammer
World begin to shake
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)

Now Eve
She stood by Adam's side
Ah, somewhere in paradise
When the world was young (ooh)
And their love (love)
That was so pure and sound
Was cursed straight into the ground
That they walked on (that they walked on)
Now somewhere in every kiss
I still feel the blame
Like a dirty link
In a long dark chain
Man pull the chain
World begin to shake
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)
I'm just living in this town

You've gotta work with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
Gotta work with me baby

She says "man,
I've given you my flesh and blood
But that just wasn't good enough
You wanted my soul"
He says "girl, (ooh)
No matter how hard I try (ooh)
You just ain't ever satisfied (ooh)
Oh no no no" (No, no, no)
Now at night the same dream
I'm all alone
Big sledgehammer and a cold dark stone
Man swing the hammer
World begin to shake
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)

You gotta work with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
(Gotta work) oh with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
Gotta work with me baby
(Ooh)
Gotta work with me baby
(Ooh)
Ooh
You gotta work with me baby
You've gotta work with me baby
You've gotta work with me baby
You gotta work with me baby
You've gotta work with me baby
You gotta work with me baby
(Ooh)

[Edit version:]

(Yeah, yeah) (Ooh)

They say love
A love has its very own light
That can shine through the darkest night
That we've heard of
And that light (oh, na na na, na oh na na na)
That you may want so much (oh na na na, na oh na na na)
Well maybe you can never touch (oh na na na, na oh na na na)
Though you may try (oh na na na, na oh na na)
Now at night I dream
I'm all alone
Big sledgehammer and a cold dark stone
Man swing the hammer
World begin to shake
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)
I'm just living in this town

You gotta work with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
Gotta work with me baby

She says "man, (na na na, na oh na na na)
I've given you my flesh and blood (oh na na na, na oh na na)
But that just wasn't good enough (oh na na na, na oh na na)
You wanted my soul" (oh na na na, na oh na na)
He says "girl, (ooh) (oh na na na, na oh na na)
No matter how hard I try (ooh) (oh na na na, na oh na na)
You just ain't ever satisfied (ooh) (oh na na na, na oh na na)
Oh no no no" (No, no, no) (oh na na na, na oh na na)
Now at night the same dream
I'm all alone
Big sledgehammer and a cold dark stone
Man swing the hammer
World begin to shake
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)
I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak (I'm just living in a town called Heartbreak)

You gotta work with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
(Gotta work) oh with me baby
Gotta (work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
(Gotta work) with me baby
Gotta work with me baby (oh na na na, na oh na na)
(Ooh) (oh na na na, na oh na na)
Gotta work with me baby (oh na na na, na oh na na)
You gotta work with me baby (I'm just living in a town called heartbreak) (I'm just living in a
town)
You've gotta work with me baby (town called heartbreak)
You've gotta work with me baby (I'm just living in a town called heartbreak) (I'm just living in a
town)
You gotta work with me baby (I'm just living in a town called heartbreak)
(Ooh, ooh)
(Oh na na na, na oh na na)

Info

TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK is a song written by Patti Scialfa and released on her 2007 album Play It As It Lays. The above "Album version" lyrics are for Patti Scialfa's album version of TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK as released in 2007.

Bruce Springsteen contributed to the studio recording of TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK, playing acoustic guitar. The song contains a sample of Janis Ian's SOCIETY'S CHILD.

Patti Scialfa's notes about the song:

That was an old song I had lying around that I never found the right place for before. But then when I started this record, I knew this was going to be a good fit because these songs are a little tougher. Musically the song really came to life once we got a bottom, kind of like an old Creedence song and a top, sort of like "Chain Of Fools". Everyone played it so well. Steve Jordan is so great. I've known him since I was a teenager and he naturally, organically understands how I want things to sound. And that's such a great help in making things come together. The song itself is about the natural conflicts of real and longstanding relationship. It's the adult's complaints. It's a song that says, "Work with me, don't box me in."

Patti Scialfa's album version of TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK clocks at 5:29. An "Edit" version (see the "Edit version" lyrics above) that clocks at 3:36 was released as an online download single.

TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK was played as a duet between Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen fairly regularly during the 2007 North American leg of the Magic Tour. See the "Live History" section below for more details.

Play It As It Lays

Play It As It Lays is a studio album by Patti Scialfa released on 04 Sep 2007 on Columbia Records. Produced by Steve Jordan, Patti Scialfa, Ron Aniello, this was Scialfa's third studio album. It features Bruce Springsteen on five tracks: LOOKING FOR ELVIS, TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK, PLAY AROUND, RAINY DAY MAN, and PLAY IT AS IT LAYS. Springsteen is also credited for some photography on the album's artwork.

Patti Scialfa -- Play It As It Lays

LP - Columbia (88697 15356 1) - USA, 2007
CD - Columbia (88697 11293 2) - USA, 2007

Other Official Releases

Patti Scialfa's album version of TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK was also issued on a promo-only single.

Patti Scialfa -- Selections From "Play It As It Lays"

CD-R single - Columbia (88697 14434 2) - USA, 2007

Promotional release.

Live History

In preparation for the Magic Tour, TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK was performed during two of the tour's three public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in September 2007 in Asbury Park and East Rutherford. The song was performed as a duet between Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen, in an acoustic arrangement.

TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK was performed 9 times during the Magic Tour (100 dates, October 2007 to August 2008). The song was performed as a duet between Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen. The first of these nine performances was played in an acoustic arrangement, while the remaining eight performances were played in a full-band arrangement. The full-band version is very similar to the officially released "Edit version" of the song.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of TOWN CALLED HEARTBREAK on this website:

Page last updated: 15 Dec 2015