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