Lyrics

Sweetie Momma

She sits outside, in her chair
Watching them hurry from here to there
They stop to talk and stay all day
She always got some truth to say
Mississippi, where she was born
'bout a hundred thousand years ago
A bad man shot her momma cold
When she was only nine days old

Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
Raised her babies, dried their tears
Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
Cleaned for white folks 40 years...
Sweetie Momma... Lord, Lord, Lord...

The first time I walked thru her door
She took me on the two minute tour
Plastic red geraniums
Shiny green linoleum
Boombox playing only blues
TV blaring soaps and news
Motorized reclining chair
Some kind of special peace in there

Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
Tough as nails, and feisty too
Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
You don't want her mad at you
Sweetie Momma, Lord, Lord...

(instru)

I recall one afternoon
Sitting in her living room
Together we scanned the screen
Hoping, praying that we'd see
John-John rescued from the waves
Praise the Lord, yeah, Jesus saves
But it turned out as we feared
and her clouded eyes, they filled with tears

Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
Maggie, Maggie, that was her name
Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma,
she's Sweetie Momma, just the same...

Thru my window over there
some old man sits in her chair
She moved away, then died so light
Like a dancer, on a late spring night
The dead, they sometimes stick around
But I don't think she will be found
Except near clouds and Kennedys
And wild geraniums and memories.

Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
Glint of gold when she smiled
Sweetie Momma, Sweetie Momma
Graced my life a little while...