"West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown" lyrics

Standin' by the side of the Highway 4 exit
A single lady in a tie-dye with a bag by her side
Not seemingly lookin' like anything special
She saw my Tennessee tags and she waved for a ride

She sat right beside me as the meter hit sixty
Explaining her travels and her family background
When she got through I could not help but thinking
She's a long way from a West Nashville grand ballroom gown
Yes, she's a long way from a West Nashville grand ballroom gown

Father had money and her mother had love
Channeled entirely to her dear sister Dove
Twenty-two years in society's plan
Canceled at the swing of her dear mother's hand

Two hours later we hit Cincinnati
Yawnin', she woke up and asked where we were
When she found out, she said "I must be goin'"
It seemed this close to Nashville was too close for her

So I stopped by the roadside and I gave her five dollars
She took it and she kissed me and she gave me a note
She told me I could read it if I mailed it in Nashville
On old loose-leaf paper to her mother she wrote

Mama I'm fine if you happen to wonder
I don't have much money but I still get around
I haven't been to church in near thirty-six Sundays
So fuck all those West Nashville grand ballroom gowns
Yeah, fuck all them West Nashville grand ballroom gowns