Drive in Movies and Dashboard Lights
Words and music by Nanci Griffith
As performed on her album "Storms"
Note: this is as Nanci spelled things on the album...no flames about
my spelling of the word "cuz"!!! :)
Sister had a crystal voice
She played a Silvertone from Montgomery Ward
Baez songs and Monroe hair
She sure could turn the boy's heads to stare
Swim wear saunter, tan and haunt them
That's all she learned in school
Books were for the other girls
And the other girls were fools
Texas back in '69
Was drive-in movies and dashboard lights
Father waltzed her down the aisle
Cuz college didn't suit her style
Sad truth was she could barely read
But if you told poor father, well he wouldn't believe you
The telephone rang drove Mother insane
With the hearts left on the shelf
Sister's gone and she won't be home
Cuz she never took care of herself
Texas back in '69
Was drive in movies and dashboard lights
Chorus:
Where is she now?
The backseat queen of fraternity
Where is she now?
She's heavy of thigh and light on integrity
Someone should have told her
When beauty's all you offer
Too soon the world discovers that your bueaty's gone
(it's gone)
Mother can't you hear your daughter crying
Father wake up her youth is dying
Her kids are grown...husband's gone away
It's a shame cuz she had such a lovely face
Can't you see she needed more
Than "Oh, what a pretty child!"
You never taught her truth from lie
All you told her was to smile
Texas back in '69
Was drive in movies and dashboard lights
Chorus