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 dancing dress
then she painted my eyes and lips
they had it split to the side,
It was red, fell but trimmed
Standing back from the looking glass,
where a half -grown kid had stood
She said, here's your one chance
Oh, here's your one chance
Then I saw the tears welling up
She looked at her pitiful shack
And then she looked at me
She said, pa's run doff and
and the baby's gonna starve to death
that said, to thine own self be true
And I shivered as I watched
across the toe of my high -heeled shoe
It sounded like somebody else was talking,
asking, Mama, what do I do?
She said, just be nice to the genuine fancy
and they'll be nice to you
She said, here's your one chance,
Oh, here's your one chance,
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, then it's up to you
Now don't let me down, honey,
That was the last time I saw my mama
I left that rickety shack
The welfare people came and
mama died and I ain't been back
But the wheels of fate started to turn
and for me there was no way out
It wasn't very long till I knew exactly
what my mama been talking about
and I made myself this solemn vow
I was gonna be a lady someday,
though I didn't know when or how
But I couldn't see spending
with my head hung down in shame
You know I might have been born
Oh, here's your one chance
took me in off the street
One week later I was pouring his tea
in a five -room hotel suite
and an occasional aristocrat
And then I got me a Georgia mansion
and an elegant New York townhouse flat
In this world, there's a lot of self -righteous
hy pocrites that call me bad
Criticize my mother for turning me out,
no matter how little we had
I ain't had to worry about nothing
for not all fifteen years
I can still hear the desperation
Here's your one -chance fancy,
Oh, here's your one -chance fancy,
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, then it's up to you
Now don't let me down, honey
Mommy's gonna keep you uptown
4.8
