Honest Lullaby

Joan Baez

Early early in the game 
I taught myself to sing and play 
And use a little trickery 
On kids who never favored me 
Those were years of crinoline slips 
And cotton skirts and swinging hips 
And dangerously painted lips 
And stars of stage and screen 
Pedal pushers, ankle socks 
Padded bras and campus jocks 
Who hid their vernal equinox 
In pairs of faded jeans 
And slept at home resentfully 
Coveting their dreams 

And often have I wondered 
How the years and I survived 
I had a mother who sang to me 
An honest lullaby 

Yellow, brown, and black and white 
Our Father bless us all tonight 
I bowed my head at the football games 
And closed the prayer in Jesus' name 
Lusting after football heroes 
tough Pachuco, little Neroes 
Forfeiting my A's for zeroes 
Futures unforeseen 
Spending all my energy 
In keeping my virginity 
And living in a fantasy 
In love with Jimmy Dean 
If you will be my king, Jimmy, Jimmy, 
I will be your queen 

And often have I wondered 
How the years and I survived 
I had a mother who sang to me 
An honest lullaby 

I travelled all around the world 
And knew more than the other girls 
Of foreign languages and schools 
Paris, Rome and Istanbul 
But those things never worked for me 
The town was much too small you see 
And people have a way of being 
Even smaller yet 
But all the same though life is hard 
And no one promised me a garden 
Of roses, so I did okay 
I took what I could get 
And did the things that I might do 
For those less fortunate 

And often have I wondered 
How the years and I survived 
I had a mother who sang to me 
An honest lullaby 

Now look at you, you must be growing 
A quarter of an inch a day 
You've already lived near half the years 
You'll be when you go away 
With your teddy bears and alligators 
Enterprise communicators 
All the tiny aviators head into the sky 
And while the others play with you 
I hope to find a way with you 
And sometimes spend a day with you 
I'll catch you as you fly 
Or if I'm worth a mother's salt 
I'll wave as you go by 

And if you should ever wonder 
How the years and you'll survive 
Honey, you've got a mother who sings to you 
Dances on the strings for you 
Opens her heart and brings to you 
An honest lullaby