Sad Cinderella

Townes van Zandt

When the Cbandits have Gstolen your Fjewelry and Cgone
and your Fcrippled young gypsy, he's grown tall and Cstrong
and your Fdead misconGceptions have Fproven you Cwrong
well then, Cprincess, where you Fplannin' to Gturn to?

when your magazine memory has spun you around
and you realize your lovers were just painted clowns
and outside your window you start hearing sounds
where they're building a cross for to burn you

when Fall your bright Gscarlet turn Cslowly to Fblue
will you Gstop and deFcide that it's Cover?


When your teardrops go sour and no longer fall
the splash cross the virgin that lives down your hall
and spends all her nights with an ear to your wall
well then, what will you have you can offer?

When the firedancers finish and leave you alone
with nothing but embers and sacks full of stone
that hang round your neck, slicing through to the bone
will there still be place for your laughter?

As your shattered illusions come a-tumblin' home
and all of the butchers you've nourished have grown
and they are suddenly able to leave you alone
and they run like slaves that are set free

when your questions are answered and your pleading is done
and your mind starts to screaming that you ain't the one
that once dwelled within you, will you turn, will you run
Then princess, will you come home and get me?