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