Story Behind The Song
I wrote this song when I lived in Paris. It is partially autobiographical. I had the flu at the time and thought I was dying. I wrote this song as a reflection on my life.
Song Description
This is the story of a girl from Texas who suffers hardship as a child, lost love as a young woman and a terrible memory of her father losing his job and falling apart emotionally.
| Song Length |
5:10 |
Genre |
, Country - Alternative |
| Tempo |
Medium Slow (91 - 110) |
Lead Vocal |
Female Vocal |
| Mood |
Poignant, Depressing |
Subject |
Existence, Regret |
| Similar Artists |
Lucinda Williams, Edie Brickell |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
Reflections
Marghi Allen
(c) 1979
I remember my beginnings
In the dry heat of Texas
Where the sun is merciless
And dust storms strip the towns
My Daddy was a handsome man
Strong, he seemed so fearless
And my Mama?s hands were full
With babies all around.
Two were walking
Two were crawling
Two were crying in the crib
My Daddy worked
While my Mama slaved
And we just lived
Protected in their shadows.
I remember my Mama
So pretty and so tired
Always cleaning
Always cooking
Always working
Always trying
Then one night my Daddy came home
And he said he?d just been fired
Oh I never will forget
The sound of that man crying
He was sobbing like a baby
With his face down in his hands
And I tried to comfort him
I could not understand
My Mama?s silence.
When I was sixteen
I fell in love
With a young mechanic
He had callouses on his hands
And grease spots on his clothes
He swept me off my feet
You know he was so damn romantic
That we ran away from Texas
For the good life on the coast
There was magic when he touched me
There was freedom in the air
And my body melted into his
Until I did not care
And then he left me.
Well, I am a lucky woman
I?ve had freedom in my life
And I?ve never had to give it up
To be somebody?s wife
But if my freedom has been dearly bought
At much too high a price
It?s because I still hear my Daddy crying
He?s crying in the silence
That grows inside my head
And he?s crying in the nighttime
When I?m lying in my bed
Alone in the dark.
I remember my beginnings
In the dry heat of Texas
And my memory is merciless
It has no sympathy
I often see my life
As no more than an illusion
A mirage that disappears
On closer scrutiny
Like a stream in the desert
An oasis in the sand
Like reflections on a quiet lake
Shattered by the hand
Of a child throwing pebbles.