Annie

Annie's up at seven on a work day

Brewing up a cup of peppermint tea

Gathering her papers and lesson plans

She grabs her keys

Teaching arithmetic and Africa

Geology and girls' basketball

All the kids in her class will tell you she's the best

But she's heard other teachers in the hall saying

"What are we going to do about Annie?

Pretty girl like her shouldn't be alone

If she took our advice, dressed up real nice

She'd find a man to take her home"

Mondays come questions of couples

Where and with whom did you go?

Avoiding the personal pronoun

She hopes it doesn't show

Shopping with her lover in the city

Two women holding hands don't get a stare

If the kids at school knew, what would they do?

Would they hate her? Why should they care?

Tell me what are we going to do about Annie?

Pretty girl like her shouldn't be alone

If she took our advice, dressed up real nice

She'd find a man to take her home

Never getting too close to a student

Never letting out too much of her life

Keeping her delights and disappointments

Tucked out of sight

Annie takes herself to the Christmas party

The principal whispers with a smile

"You're vivacious and bright, if you play your cards right

There's some men here tonight worth your while"

Thinking what are we going to do about Annie?

Pretty girl like her shouldn't be alone

If she took our advice, dressed up real nice

She'd find a man to take her home

Work that you love is hard to come by

The kids she could never bear to lose

So she makes conversation out of silences

And half-truths

But at night by the fire with her lover

She looks out at the wind-driven snow

And imagines the day when she'll look in their faces

And tell everybody she knows

She'll tell 'em don't you worry about Annie

She don't lie awake and pine

Got love to fill her heart, flowers growing in the garden

Annie's doing just fine

Don't you worry about Annie

She don't lie awake and pine

Got love to fill her heart, flowers growing in the garden

Annie's doing just fine