Tag Archives: untranslatable

I heard
This story
About a girl
Sings in the back of a bar
And bets on the race track
Coal town, near Albuquerque

Heard the town mine is kaput
She’s gonna blow the whistle
On the whole thing
Horse race fixin’
Price fixin’
City blocks
Bought up
All
By the
Same
Person

All of it
If she don’t
Get her share

The boss slides up
To her barstool
Looks at her
Tells her it’s time
Get on stage, it’s time
Unbunch that skirt
She’s gonna be a
Good girl tonight
Gonna be a princess
Won’t have to wait
Like last time
Won’t have to wait
For her paycheck
Times are tough
You know, sweetheart
Her whole face tight
As she scans the crowd
For his toothy grin

Virginia smoothed the handprint
Off her ruffled yellow dress
And smiled
Nah, she’d be good
She just needed five in the john
Kick the dust off her boots
Then she’d be right as rain

After all, not a lot of guys
Hitch their wagon up
With used cars, you know
She was lucky
He bought the story
Misty-eyed

About to be a dad
And all, gosh
He better
Buy their ticket
Outta here

Better buy the whole
Song and dance
In case that baby
Don’t show

And outside the door
You could hear her voice
Clear as a bell
Singing back
’bout what her mama said
She said

Don’t wait for candles
To wish 
Don’t wait for rain
To clean up
Don’t wait for coal to turn
To diamonds
Don’t wait for the stars to come out at night
To shine