Paper Gown

Herring Caroline

Small town stars shine bright for a day 
The moon lights up a watery grave 
Woods move in the nighttime breeze 
That lifts from the lake through the trees 
On the night that defined my name 
Fantasy or monster, you say 
Watched my boys ride the incline down 
All for a paper gown 

Long ago I used to be 
A little girl on my daddy's knee 
Dreams lie like diamond rings 
Babies and pretty things 

I watched my car sink silently 
My lover's sweatshirt wrapped around me 
On a black man I blamed the crime 
With moans and screams and cries 
Then I waited for him to call 
My ready-made family gone after all 
While the world mourned an alibi 
My hopes began to die 
Long ago I used to be 
A little girl on my daddy's knee 
Dreams lie like diamond rings 
Babies and pretty things 
Day by day 
All the promises faded away 
No one but me 
Controls my destiny 

The sheriff sat me down to pray 
At the First Baptist Church on the ninth day 
"Susan, make your conscience clean" 
"Sheriff, I've done a terrible thing" 
I confessed that, for love's sake, 
I drowned my children in John D. Long Lake 
They're with Jesus, looking down 
At me in this paper gown 

Long ago I used to be 
A little girl on my daddy's knee 
Dreams lie like diamond rings 
Babies and pretty things 
Long ago I used to be 
A little girl with dreams I believed 
Dreams lie like diamond rings 
Babies and pretty things