I am referring to the polyvinyl recording (at least, I'm pretty sure it's the one on the polyvinyl sampler; /clementines/, you know the file.)

Final 'r' tends to disappear throughout the song, but after girl there is a momentary rest, a breath, an 'r'-flavoured vowel, and then 'Ithaca'. It could be interpreted as 'her' instead of 'here', but there is definitely something there. It took me several repeated listens of those few seconds to be completely sure of it. I think it sounds significantly cooler with the 'here' than without. 1:02 into the song -- try a few times. Once you do, differing opinions will be well respected. But I'm pretty sure of this.

Incidentally, it's that sort of detail that has me excited about the new album. It's almost gothic (architecture, not pseudo-culture); the detail is there, but only if you want to bother with it. Otherwise it just looks like a solid whole.

(I haven't yet seen them live and I'm thoroughly eager for a new fix. Well, I stood outside their first Seattle concert and listened through the tavern door, but was under-age and couldn't go in. The next time they came I had the date off by two days and missed them.)