WELL I REMEMBER IT
ALL VERY WELL
LOOKIN' BACK
IT WAS THE SUMMER
I TURNED EIGHTEEN
WE LIVED
IN A ONE ROOM
RUNDOWN SHACK
ON THE OUTSKIRTS
OF NEW ORLEANS
WE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY
FOR FOOD OR RENT
TO SAY THE LEAST
WE WERE
HARD PRESSED
THEN MAMA SPENT
EVERY LAST PENNY
WE HAD
TO BUY ME
A DANCIN' DRESS
MAMA WASHED
AND COMBED
AND CURLED MY HAIR
AND SHE PAINTED
MY EYES AND LIPS
THEN I STEPPED INTO
A SATIN DANCIN' DRESS
THAT HAD A SPLIT
ON THE SIDE
CLEAN UP TO MY HIP
IT WAS RED
VELVET TRIM
AND IT FIT ME GOOD
STANDIN' BACK FROM
THE LOOKIN' GLASS
THERE STOOD A WOMAN
WHERE A HALF GROWN
KID HAD STOOD
SHE SAID
HERE'S YOUR
ONE CHANCE FANCY
DON'T LET ME DOWN
SHE SAID
HERE'S YOUR
ONE CHANCE FANCY
DON'T LET ME DOWN
MAMA DABBED A LITTLE
BIT OF PERFUME
ON MY NECK
AND SHE KISSED
MY CHEEK
AND THEN
I SAW THE TEARS
WELLIN' UP IN
HER TROUBLED EYES
AS SHE STARTED
TO SPEAK
SHE LOOKED
AT OUR PITIFUL SHACK
AND THEN
SHE LOOKED AT ME
AND TOOK A
RAGGED BREATH
SHE SAID
YOUR PA'S RUN'D OFF
AND I'M REAL SICK
AND THE BABY'S GONNA
STARVE TO DEATH
SHE HANDED ME A
HEART SHAPED LOCKET
THAT SAID
TO THINE OWN SELF
BE TRUE
AND I SHIVERED
AS I WATCHED A ROACH
CRAWL ACROSS
THE TOE OF MY
HIGH HEELED SHOE
IT SOUNDED LIKE
SOMEBODY ELSE
THAT WAS TALKIN'
ASKIN' MAMA
WHAT DO I DO
SHE SAID JUST BE NICE
TO THE GENTLEMEN
FANCY
THEY'LL BE NICE TO YOU
SHE SAID
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
BUT IF YOU WANT OUT
WELL IT'S UP TO YOU
NOW DON'T
LET ME DOWN NOW
YOUR MAMA'S GONNA
MOVE YOU UPTOWN
WELL THAT WAS
THE LAST TIME
I SAW MY MA
THE NIGHT I LEFT
THAT RICKETY SHACK
THE WELFARE PEOPLE
CAME AND
TOOK THE BABY
MAMA DIED
AND I AIN'T BEEN BACK
BUT THE WHEELS
OF FATE
STARTED TO TURN
AND FOR ME
THERE WAS NO WAY OUT
AND IT WASN'T
VERY LONG
TILL I KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT MY MAMA'D
BEEN TALKIN' ABOUT
I KNEW WHAT
I HAD TO DO
AND I MADE MYSELF
THIS SOLEMN VOW
THAT I's GONNA
BE A LADY SOMEDAY
THOUGH I DIDN'T KNOW
WHEN OR HOW
BUT I COULDN'T SEE
SPENDING
THE REST OF MY LIFE
WITH MY HEAD HUNG
DOWN IN SHAME
YOU KNOW
I MIGHT HAVE
BEEN BORN JUST
PLAIN WHITE TRASH
BUT FANCY
WAS MY NAME
SHE SAID
HERE'S YOUR
ONE CHANCE FANCY
DON'T LET ME DOWN
SHE SAID
HERE'S YOUR
ONE CHANCE FANCY
DON'T LET ME DOWN
IT WASN'T LONG AFTER
A BENEVOLENT MAN
TOOK 'A ME IN
OFF THE STREET
AND ONE WEEK LATER
I WAS POURIN' HIS TEA
IN A FIVE ROOM
HOTEL SUITE
I CHARMED A KING
A CONGRESSMAN
AND AN OCCASIONAL
ARISTOCRAT
AND THEN I GOT ME
A GEORGIA MANSION
AND AN ELEGANT
NEW YORK
TOWNHOUSE FLAT
AND I AIN'T DONE BAD
4 BAR
BREAK
NOW IN THIS WORLD
THERE'S A LOT OF
SELF-RIGHTEOUS
HYPOCRITES
THAT CALL ME BAD
AND CRITICIZE MAMA
FOR TURNING ME OUT
NO MATTER
HOW LITTLE WE HAD
BUT THOUGH I AIN'T HAD
TO WORRY
'BOUT NOTHING
FOR GOING ON
FIFTEEN YEARS
WELL I CAN STILL HEAR
THE DESPERATION
IN MY POOR
MAMA'S VOICE
RINGING IN MY EARS
HERE'S YOUR
ONE CHANCE FANCY
DON'T LET ME DOWN
OH HERE'S YOUR
ONE CHANCE FANCY
DON'T LET ME DOWN
LORD FORGIVE ME
FOR WHAT I DO
BUT IF YOU WANT OUT
WELL IT'S UP TO YOU
NOW DON'T LET ME
DOWN HON
YOUR MAMA'S GONNA
MOVE YOU UPTOWN
WELL I GUESS SHE DID