West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown

Standing by the side of a highway four exit

I seen a lady in a tie-dye with a bag by her side

Not seemingly looking 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 her West Nashville Grand Ballroom gown

Yeah, she's a long way from her West Nashville Grand Ballroom gown

Father had money, mother had love

Channelled entirely to her dear sister Dove

Twenty-two years in society's plan

Cancelled 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 ten thirty-six Sundays

So fuck all those West Nashville Grand Ballroom gowns

Yeah, fuck all them West Nashville Grand Ballroom gowns"