Town Without Pity

When I was a kid growing up in Royersford, Pennsylvania in the late 50's and early 60's, we always had a large console stereo in our kitchen. As soon as our father left for work, our mom cranked it up. We danced and sang like wild maniacs.

Mom had an interesting assortment of records, Jonnie Ray, Puccini operas, and jitter bug. We'd stack the records up randomly and take turns being "the contestant." You never knew what your song would be until it played. But the crazier we acted, the more the crowd roared. Rick was known for his silly costumes, (think pointy, white cotton brassieres on his head) and Kit for her exuberant bossa nova.

But the song that I can't get out of my head this week is Gene Pitney's "Town Without Pity." I've been hearing it day and night for the past few days.

I remember mom standing for long periods of time at the kitchen door gazing longingly through the glass. It scared me to the core. She was no longer in love with our dad, which I did not know until I came home from school on Christmas break in 1963 and found out we were leaving.

She'd had a poorly-kept-secret love affair with a man from our church. Dad said he was the last person in Royersford to find out. Now when I read the lyrics, I see why this song resonated with her and still frightens me. I made an encaustic painting to get rid of the emptiness this song brings up.

Town Without Pity
When you're young and so in love as we

And bewildered by the world we see

Why do people hurt us so

Only those in love would know

What a town without pity can do

If we stop to gaze upon a star

People talk about how bad we are

Ours is not an easy age

We're like tigers in a cage

What a town without pity can do

The young have problems, many problems

We need an understanding heart

Why don't they help us, try and help us

Before this clay and granite planet falls apart

Take these eager lips and hold me fast

I'm afraid this kind of joy can't last

How can we keep love alive

How can anything survive

When these little minds tear you in two

What a town without pity can do

How can we keep love alive

How can anything survive

When these little minds tear you in two

What a town without pity can do

No, it isn't very pretty what a town without pity

Can do

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