Years ago in my hometown I was a headstrong girl and a heartstrong one    We'd ride all summer with the top rolled down through the sleepy streets of that Jersey town    Now I knew girls when I was sixteen    Could make a smart boy stutter, turn a nice boy mean    And the boys made the girls into homecoming queens    Married each other instead of their dreams      These days I'm mostly out on my own    Looking for someplace that I can call home    Late at night, or just before dawn    I pretend you're with me now    It never seemed that hard before    What happened to that hometown girl?      The seasons changed in my hometown    The way they changed in yours    The windows opened up to the Spring    Like every spring before    And I ran with boys who weren't like you    I was young but somehow I knew    The difference between a man and a fool    Sometimes I think that could have been you      These days I'm mostly out on my own    Looking for someplace that I can call home    Late at night, or just before dawn    I pretend you're with me now    It never seemed that hard before    What happened to that hometown girl?      Hometown girls are like hometown dreams    Some start fading, others stay keen    I won't forget you but I'll let you be    Love never was that kind to me      Late at night or just before down    I pretend you're with me now    You had your madness and you had your charm   But only when your heart allowed   And my heart just won't allow no more    What happened to that hometown girl?