# Why is Chrissie Hynde standing in the middle of the road with her pants behind her? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395 "2005-03-20T05:31:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/1 "2005-03-20T05:31:56Z")
Or am I misunderstanding the lyrics? Li’l help? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/2 "2005-03-20T05:37:00Z")
LOL! It’s “I’m standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me.” But I like your version better. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/3 "2005-03-20T05:37:20Z")
Because Dan Fogerty had told her there’s a bathroom on the right. ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/4 "2005-03-20T05:38:07Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > LOL! It’s “I’m standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me.” > > But I like your version better. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/5 "2005-03-20T07:00:46Z")
Now excuse me while I kiss this guy, ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/6 "2005-03-20T07:30:46Z")
3 of 4 web sites surveyed had this as “with my pains behind me”. Can we get a ruling? I always thought it was “with my past behind me”, which seemed to make sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/7 "2005-03-20T08:07:41Z")
I wonder if she had brass in one of the pockets of those pants behind her. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/8 "2005-03-20T13:49:07Z")
Nah, she was just waiting for one of those tattooed love boys to catch up. I love Chrissie Hyndes and the Pretenders. LOVE! I think my favorite song is “Talk of the Town”, an eloquent story of unrequited love. The video for “Brass in Pocket” was simply perfect with Chrissie as a waitress at a diner who may look tough but really all she wants is to be is special. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/9 "2005-03-20T15:08:10Z")
IMHO, Chrissie Hynde is the hottest woman in rock & roll ever. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/10 "2005-03-20T16:02:16Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > IMHO, Chrissie Hynde is the hottest woman in rock & roll ever. I thought that was just in Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/11 "2005-03-20T16:03:36Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I thought that was just in Ohio. Way to go, Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/12 "2005-03-20T16:58:25Z")
> [@YellowTail](#): > > Why is Chrissie Hynde standing in the middle of the road with her pants behind her? And why is it that she doesn’t need a “hamstack nursery”? Doesn’t everyone need at least one? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/13 "2005-03-20T17:24:55Z")
I always interpreted it thus: “In the middle of the road just trying to find me I’m standing in the middle of life with my parents behind me” In short, she’s just on her own with no commitments, no plans, no outlook…a young kid just out of school and in her own place and ready to meet what comes. A far cry from where she ends up. But that’s true for us all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/14 "2005-03-20T17:44:01Z")
> [@OP](#): > > Why is Chrissie Hynde standing in the middle of the road with her pants behind her? Watching the clothes? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/15 "2005-03-20T17:49:22Z")
[This site](http://www.pretenders.org/lymor1.htm) lists it as “plans”. I don’t think the narrator has her whole life ahead of her, or faces unlimited possibilities or choices: “I’M GOING HOME, I’M TIRED AS HELL I’M NOT THE CAT I USED TO BE I GOT A KID, I’M THIRTY-THREE” (see the last stanza). The lyrics raise another question, though: what was that bit about “dragging my bay” supposed to be about? Does she have a horse in a trailer? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/16 "2005-03-20T18:25:14Z")
> [@The Scrivener](#): > > [This site](http://www.pretenders.org/lymor1.htm) lists it as “plans”. I don’t think the narrator has her whole life ahead of her, or faces unlimited possibilities or choices: > > “I’M GOING HOME, I’M TIRED AS HELL > I’M NOT THE CAT I USED TO BE > I GOT A KID, I’M THIRTY-THREE” > > (see the last stanza). > > The lyrics raise another question, though: what was that bit about “dragging my bay” supposed to be about? Does she have a horse in a trailer? Imho, it’s “dragging my **day** ”. Just checked a lyrics website which says “bay”, but “day” makes more sense. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/17 "2005-03-20T18:50:59Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Way to go, Ohio. But Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young keep forgetting Ohio. Well, that’s what I heard. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/18 "2005-03-20T22:06:37Z")
Dang, I was hoping there was going to be a picture. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/19 "2005-03-20T22:23:33Z")
Yeah, I thought this was going to be about an album cover. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395/20 "2005-03-20T23:20:12Z")
> [@Mr. Duality](#): > > Imho, it’s “dragging my **day** ”. Just checked a lyrics website which says “bay”, but “day” makes more sense. I think it’s a NIMBY reference. You drag (or dredge) a bay to deepen it. It leaves a lot of waste that has to be dumped on shore somewhere and stirs up long-buried waste, etc. As long as you don’t try dragging my bay or dropping the bomb on my street. IOW, not in my back yard. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-chrissie-hynde-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-road-with-her-pants-behind-her/295395.md?page=2)