Sweet Lorraine Patty Griffin

Sweet Lorraine
A fiery haired
Brown-eyed schemer
Who came from a long line
Of drinkers and dreamers
Who knew that sunshine
Don't hold up to dark
Whose businesses fail
Who'll sleep in the park
Lorraine who spoke
Of paintings in Paris
And outlandish things
To her family just to scare us
Whose heart went poking
Where it shouldn't've
Whose mother could only
Spit at the thought of Lorraine
Sweet Lorraine

Her father would tear out
Like a page of the Bible
Then he'd burn down the house
To announce his arrival
Her mother was working
And never was home
Lorraine carved out
A little life of her own
Lorraine started working
Lorraine went to school
Her mother threw stones at her
On the day that she moved
Now isn't that a very strange thing to do
For someone who never really wanted you
Lorraine
Sweet Lorraine