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was breaking up at the time, there was speculation that the song was about their relationship. However, Taylor has stated that the song was about "the ex-wife of a mutual friend." Author Sheila Weller has written that the subject was Betsy Asher, who had recently divorced from Taylor's longtime
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The subject of "Her Town Too" is the aftermath of a breakup of a long term relationship. Taylor has called it "a tender, well-meaning song about how difficult it was to be friends" with both parties after the breakup. Since Taylor's marriage to
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critic Don Shewey notes that despite the song's worthy ambitions, the narrative never quite reaches a resolution, and thus the song "comes across as merely a catchy, mindless ditty."
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for the weeks of May 2 and 9, 1981. It is Taylor's last single to reach the Top 40 on that chart as of 2021. "Her Town Too" also reached #5 on the
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Taylor has said of the song that it "showed a maturity in song structure that had been developing since I wrote '
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had been issued four years earlier, in 1977. Taylor also claimed that the song had "a relentless
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called it a "gently incisive divorce song" that was "among finest pieces of writing."
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Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni
Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation
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764:(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 285.
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said that Taylor's and
Souther's voices "complement each other perfectly."
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Coleman, M.; Edmonds, B. (2004). Brackett, N.; Hoard, C. (eds.).
283:. The song was also released as a single, peaking at #11 on the
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critic John
Griffin praised the song's "mellifluous
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Hot 100, Week of May 9, 1981 – Billboard.com.
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Hot 100, Week of May 2, 1981 – Billboard.com.
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274:. "Her Town Too" was later released on the 2000
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1383:James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine
703:"'Talk Memphis' Says Plenty for Winchester"
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322:, but of course this is just speculation.
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16:1981 single by James Taylor and JD Souther
1670:Song recordings produced by Peter Asher
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993:Live at the Beacon Theatre (DVD video)
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1181:How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
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842:Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
570:. Omnibus Press. pp. 276–277.
676:(4th ed.). Fireside. p.
652:. Amordian Press. 1988. p. 82
14:
762:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
136:James Taylor, JD Souther &
1555:The Souther–Hillman–Furay Band
1297:Something in the Way She Moves
1149:Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
1:
1640:Songs written by James Taylor
673:The Rolling Stone Album Guide
541:. January 8, 1983. p. 73
482:"James Taylor: Chart History"
471:Retrieved September 18, 2024.
456:Retrieved September 18, 2024.
353:The Rolling Stone Album Guide
1645:Songs written by JD Souther
701:Griffin, J. (May 2, 1981).
594:Shewey, D. (May 28, 1981).
509:"Dad Loves His Work awards"
335:." "Your Smiling Face and
219:"If You Don't Want My Love"
1686:
1609:Souther–Hillman–Furay Band
1064:The Essential James Taylor
739:. March 7, 1981. p. 1
1018:James Taylor at Christmas
243:
214:
169:
157:
26:
1665:Columbia Records singles
1057:The Best of James Taylor
649:Musician Issues 111-1116
623:. Simon & Schuster.
428:"Greatest Hits Volume 2"
295:Adult Contemporary chart
1604:Longbranch Pennywhistle
1401:Troubadour Reunion Tour
1318:You Can Close Your Eyes
1107:Knocking 'Round the Zoo
210: singles chronology
165: singles chronology
1223:Honey Don't Leave L.A.
1050:Greatest Hits Volume 2
986:Live at the Troubadour
280:Greatest Hits Volume 2
264:, first released as a
1202:Woman's Gotta Have It
1142:Long Ago and Far Away
568:Long Ago and Far Away
299:Mainstream Rock chart
252:is a song written by
1523:If the World Was You
1396:Vote for Change Tour
1332:I Was a Fool to Care
1232:" (with Carly Simon)
708:The Montreal Gazette
596:"Dad Loves His Work"
1630:Songs about divorce
1562:Trouble in Paradise
1135:You've Got a Friend
1100:Carolina in My Mind
898:That's Why I'm Here
619:Weller, S. (2008).
233:"Go Ahead and Rain"
68:"Believe It or Not"
1635:James Taylor songs
1580:You're Only Lonely
1509:You're Only Lonely
1495:John David Souther
1028:Compilation albums
891:Dad Loves His Work
730:"Hits of the Week"
566:White, T. (2009).
271:Dad Loves His Work
54:Dad Loves His Work
1617:
1616:
1446:
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1437:Two-Lane Blacktop
1421:Livingston Taylor
1339:Bartender's Blues
1311:Steamroller Blues
1216:Your Smiling Face
1195:Shower the People
1011:A Christmas Album
947:American Standard
940:Before This World
410:
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401:Kent Music Report
327:Your Smiling Face
276:compilation album
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1597:Related articles
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1043:Classic Songs
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1036:Greatest Hits
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870:In the Pocket
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820:Studio albums
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771:0-646-11917-6
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600:Rolling Stone
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577:9780857120069
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389:Chart (1980)
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359:Rolling Stone
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262:Waddy Wachtel
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138:Waddy Wachtel
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131:Songwriter(s)
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1660:1981 singles
1587:Her Town Too
1586:
1560:
1553:
1535:
1528:
1521:
1516:Home by Dawn
1514:
1507:
1500:
1493:
1435:
1411:Sally Taylor
1388:
1381:
1325:Highway Song
1265:It's Growing
1244:Her Town Too
1243:
1128:Country Road
1082:Other Covers
1080:
1062:
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972:One Man Band
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926:October Road
924:
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828:James Taylor
826:
813:James Taylor
761:
752:
741:. Retrieved
737:Record World
736:
724:
713:. Retrieved
711:. p. 68
706:
696:
671:
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654:. Retrieved
648:
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603:. Retrieved
567:
543:. Retrieved
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516:. Retrieved
489:. Retrieved
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451:
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435:. Retrieved
421:
375:Record World
373:
363:
357:
351:
350:
336:
330:
324:
315:manager and
308:
291:
285:
278:
269:
254:James Taylor
249:
248:
226:Her Town Too
225:
185:Her Town Too
184:
163:James Taylor
52:
41:James Taylor
1426:Alex Taylor
1416:Kate Taylor
1406:Carly Simon
1377:Discography
1304:Sunny Skies
1282:Other songs
1174:Carly Simon
1170:Mockingbird
957:Live albums
856:Walking Man
849:One Man Dog
758:Kent, David
533:"Chartbeat"
399:Australia (
320:Peter Asher
312:Carly Simon
152:Peter Asher
146:Producer(s)
1655:1981 songs
1624:Categories
1547:SHF albums
1537:Tenderness
1502:Black Rose
1480:JD Souther
1353:Millworker
1251:Hard Times
743:2023-02-26
715:2014-05-31
687:0743201698
656:2014-05-31
605:2014-05-31
545:2014-05-31
518:2014-05-31
491:2021-08-25
437:2014-05-31
413:References
343:quality."
305:Background
258:JD Souther
208:JD Souther
194:Hard Times
45:JD Souther
1290:Night Owl
1209:Handy Man
919:Hourglass
538:Billboard
486:Billboard
467:Billboard
452:Billboard
394:position
347:Reception
292:Billboard
286:Billboard
95:Soft rock
1258:Everyday
1172:" (with
979:Amchitka
760:(1993).
513:Allmusic
432:Allmusic
317:producer
81:Recorded
73:Released
1572:Singles
1390:Working
1092:Singles
863:Gorilla
288:Hot 100
235:(1984)
230:(1981)
221:(1980)
198:(1981)
189:(1981)
180:(1979)
1272:Change
1188:Mexico
933:Covers
768:
684:
627:
574:
382:Charts
370:melody
341:bolero
329:' for
260:, and
101:Length
63:B-side
37:Single
733:(PDF)
118:Label
90:Genre
1163:Hymn
884:Flag
766:ISBN
682:ISBN
625:ISBN
572:ISBN
392:Peak
266:duet
84:1980
76:1981
43:and
678:804
406:54
39:by
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877:JT
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