Fancy (Acoustic Version)

I remember it all very well, lookin' back

It was the summer I turned 18

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

She painted my eyes and lips (lips)

And then I stepped into a satin dancin' dress

I had a split on the side

Clean up to my hip

But it was red

Velvet trim and it fit me good

Standin' back from the lookin' glass

There stood a woman

Where a half gown 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 dabbled little bit of perfume on my neck

Then she kissed my cheek

And then I saw the tears

Wellin' 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

She said, "Your pa's runned 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 heel shoe

Sounded like somebody else, it 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"

She said, "Here's your one chance

Fancy, don't let me down"

Lord, forgive me for what I do (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

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 had started to turn

And for me, there was no way out

Wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly

What my mama 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 don'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 Rose was my name

And 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"

Wasn't long after a benevolent man

Took me in off the streets

One week later, I was pourin' his tea

In a five room hotel suite (yes, he was)

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

I ain't done bad (she ain't done bad)

Now in this world

There's a lot of self-righteous hypocrites

That'd call me bad (bad)

Criticizing mama for turning me out

No matter how little we had, oh

But though, I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'

For now or 15 years

I can still hear the desperation

In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears

Here's your one chance

Fancy, don't let me down

She said, "Here's your one chance

Fancy, don't let me down"

Lord, forgive me for what I do (do)

But if you want out

Well, it's up to you

Now don't let me down

Your mama's gonna move you uptown

And I guess she did

Uhu

U-uhu

O yeah, uh yeah