Enjoy this little discussion about the meaning of the title of one of my all-time favorite Nyro songs, “When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag” (from Christmas and the Beads of Sweat).
I always thought there was a double-entendre to “main drag”–on the one hand, it’s the most prominent street in a town, but on the other it’s something that really weighs you down. In my book, I suggested that there could be a play on the fact that the town of Freeport, Long Island held drag races … But as with all of Laura’s early lyrics, it’s the elusiveness that’s most appealing: You don’t really understand what she’s saying, but then again, somehow, you do.
A penny for your thoughts on this …
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We’re One, but we’re not the same. There’s a similarity between the two, but women are more fluid than rigid.
Would the verses give a clue to the chorus? The words in each verse leading up to the chorus might lead up to a meaning in the lines that follow: “I’m mad at my country/now I’ve been trated bad/when I was…” Does this mean she was treated bad back when she was the freeport? A look back in anger at oppression of some sort? The bridge seems to point to that.
Other than that, I always thought it meant her heart was as big as a town (or something of the sort) and whomever she was singing about was the main artery and she missed that.
I interviewed Felix C. last year — maybe he would have known!
I think that Freeport is also a racing term, more or less, a curvy track vrs a main drag. Like laura was all over the place and YOU were driving straight….something like that but as you indicated, who the hell knows with Laura Lyrics…
or Freeport Maine, or Freeport ( as in ready baby) and YOU were a main drag to that. I love her.
I always thought it was a pun on a cigarette reference.
Carol’s pun suggestion has the ring of truth to it. “Freeport” has many possibilities and sounds great.