The Pretenders’ “Hymn to Her” Lyrics Meaning

The Pretenders’ “Hymn to Her” is a prime example of a song whose lyrics can be terse and simple-looking but may carry deep meaning. Well, maybe. For instance, in more modern times it can be argued that the first verse actually alludes to lesbianism.

Now this is not to suggest that Chrissie Hynde, The Pretenders’ frontwoman, is a lesbian, as apparently she isn’t. Yet in the first verse, she does speak of being the “lover” of the titular “her”. 

But again, this was back in the 1980s when we can say that such expressions, whether metaphorical or outright, were for the most part nonexistent in the mainstream-music industry. 

So when the singer, who identifies herself as a female, speaks of being “let… inside” the addressee as well as ‘dressing as her daughter’ and ‘being her mother’, apparently such statements are not meant to be interpreted from a romantic standpoint, regardless of how they may sound to some listeners. 

Instead the notion they actually point to is the singer being supportive of the fellow female addressee in varying capacities.

Addressee facing Challenges

Indeed more to the point at hand is what transpires after the first verse. Here it is revealed that the addressee is somehow imprisoned. Logically speaking, this most likely wouldn’t be a physical prison. Rather it would be some kind of barrier or oppression, if you will. Or at least that’s the aura given off with statements such as “I hear your voice coming out of that hole”.

And yes, as noted earlier the singer is sympathetic to the addressee. Furthermore as put forth in the chorus, she perceives her as some type of a hero – a woman who ‘always carries on’ despite the challenges which may have come her way.

So going back to the characters mentioned in the song, the addressee is referred to in the second chorus “the maid… mother… and the crone that’s grown old”. 

So it’s like she’s a representation of the different stages in a woman’s life. Thus the “Hymn to Her” actually reads, by and large, like an old-school female empowerment song. Or stated differently, the singer is biggin’ up the perseverance of a woman who once again has had a challenging life.

Some Elements of Mysticism

But now concerning the aforementioned ambiguity (so to say) of the lyrics, let it be known that the word “crone” is also a character in the world of mysticism. 

Additionally, Chrissie Hynde is an adherent of the Hindu religion. And in fact according to one publication called The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism (2004), this song does operate along a pagan motif. Or put more simply there’s sort of this mystical, new-age element to it. 

So that may be why the aforementioned first verse comes off as being a bit extra. But either way, by the time the song concludes, no one who really listens to it should be under the impression that it is romantic in nature. 

Contrarily it becomes more evident, once you get past all of the ‘paganism’ and stuff flying about, that this is rather an ode to a strong woman.

But all of that being noted, presuming some people may have interpreted this song as being lesbian, even back in the day, isn’t that far-fetched. For such would logically be one of the reasons why the track was rather released under the name “Hymn to Her (She Will Always Carry On)” in the US.

The Pretenders

If reading the name of this band takes you back to that classic song by The Platters, then feel not ashamed, for The Pretenders were actually named after The Great Pretender (1955). 

And they are a band that formed in England in 1978, originally consisting of American singer Chrissie Hynde and three dudes from the UK:

• Martin Chambers
• Pete Farndon (1952-1983)
• James Honeyman-Scott (1956-1982)

As of 2021, Hynde and Chambers remain members of the group. However, Chambers was out for a while, from 1985 to 1993, being sacked by Hynde under allegations of poor performance.

That being noted, the band’s membership has fluctuated significantly throughout the years. And this particular track is from their 1986 album “Get Close”. 

During that particular outing, The Pretenders’ membership consisted of:

• Chrissie Hynde (vocalist)
• Blair Cunningham (drummer)
• Robbie McIntosh (guitarist)
• T. M. Stevens (bass guitarist) 

And just to note, unlike the original bi-national composition of the group, all four of the above-mentioned are in fact Americans.

Hymn to Her

“Hymn to Her” was a mild hit, placing within the top 10 of both the UK Singles Chart and Kent Music Report.

The song was written by one Meg Keene. According to a number of reliable sources, this is the only commercially released song she’s ever written. And according to Wikipedia, she was a friend of Chrissie Hyde’s from high school.

The producers of this track are Bob Clearmountain and Jimmy Iovine, the latter of Interscope Records’ fame.

“Hymn to Her” was released on 1 November 1986, via the Warner Music Group, as the second single from “Get Close”. 

And in 1997 it also served as one of the songs on a multi-artist compilation album entitled “Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute” which, as its name implies, was in memorandum of Princess Diana (1961-1997).