Madame Selma

Madame Selma keeps on smiling Selling postcards in the square In all the photographs, the sun keeps shining And you could bet she's there One life coated in glossy color The other, coated in dust and blood You wouldn't think that she had ever seen the difference But she did Oh, it's been so long since my man's been gone And, oh, what a woe for a woman in love to have to smile alone Well, it's been so long since my man's been gone And, oh, what a woe to the man, who I love I'd have to die alone In Selma's cards, there's no folks fighting No tattered cloth on splayed out bones Only the autumn and painted forests Only the quaint old homes But war stepped on our poor old doorstep Its bloody boots on our welcome mat And Madame Selma started singing a low song about her man "Oh, it's been so long since my man's been gone And if he's gone for the rest of my days Will my love drag on?" Well, it's been so long since my man's been gone And it's been so long since the right kind of man tried to take me home And one day all the soldiers came Chased in by the joy, they came Beautiful young boys, they came up marching The wheat fields waved their healthy hands As children ran their healthy hands Reaching for their father's hands and feet And through the streets, the music sings And all the tears, the music sings And all the years like nothing ever happened Well, it's been so long since my man's been gone And it's been so long since the right kind of man tried to take me Home Madame Selma keeps on smiling, selling postcards in the square In all photographs the sun keeps shining, and you can bet she's there