i remember it all very well lookin’ back
it was the summer that i turned 8
we lived in a oneroom run down shack
on the outskirts of new orleans
we didn’t have money for food or rent
to say the least we were hardpressed
then momma spent every last penny we had
to buy me a dancin’ dress
momma washed and combed and curled my hair
and she painted my eyes and lips yeah
and then i stepped into my satin dancin’ dress
it was split on the side clean up to my hips
well it was red velvettrimmed
and fit me good
and starin’ back from lookin’ glass was a woman
where a halfgrow’d kid had stood
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
lord forgive me for what i do please
but if you want out well it’s up to you
now don’t let me down
your momma’s gonna help you move uptown
don’t let me down don’t let me down
momma dabbed a little bit of perfume
on my neck and she kissed my cheek
then i saw the tears well up
in her troubled eyes when she started to speak
she looked at our pitiful shack and then
she looked at me and took a ragged breath
your pa’s run off and i’m real sick
and the baby’s gonna starve to death
she handed me a heartshaped locket that said
to thine own self be true
and i shivered as i watched a roach crawl across
the toe of my highheeled shoe
it sounded like somebody else that was talkin’
askin’ momma what do i do
just be nice to the gentlemen fancy
and they’ll be nice to you
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
lord forgive me for what i do please
but if you want out well it’s up to you
now get on out girl
you better start movin’ uptown
well that was the last time i saw my ma
the night i left that rickety shack
’cause the welfare people came and took the baby
momma died and i ain’t been back
but the wheels of fate had started to turn
and for me there was no way out
and it wasn’t very long ’til i knew exactly
what my momma been talkin’ about
i did what i had to do
but i made myself this solemn vow
that i was gonna to be a lady someday
though i didn’t know when or how
i couldn’t see spendin’ the rest of my life
with my head hung down in shame
i mighta been born just plain white trash
but fancy was my name
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
it wasn’t long after a benevolent man
took me in off the street
and one week later i was pourin’ his tea
in a fiveroom hotel suite
yes she was
well i’ve charmed a king a congressman
and an occasional aristocrat
and i got me a georgia mansion
and an elegant new york townhouse flat
and i ain’t done bad
she ain’t done bad
now in this world there’s a lot of selfrighteous
hypocrites that would call me bad
and criticize my momma for turning me out
no matter how little we had
and though i ain’t had to worry ’bout nothin’
for nigh on 5 years
i can still hear the desperation
in my poor momma’s voice ringin’ in my ear
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down
lord forgive me for what i do please
but if you want out well it’s up to you
now don’t let me down
your momma’s gonna help you move uptown
and i guess she did
Artist: Bobbie Gentry
Year: 1969
Decade: 60s
Language: en
Word Count: 307