Terlingua Chili Queen

Sandy worked in Dallas in an office in the sky Chattin' up the oil men, her hair piled high Bought designer clothes at the Galleria Mall Dancin' in Deep Ellum, she was fairest of them all The husbands and the houses, they'd come and then they'd go And when the dust would settle, she'd be right back on her own If you want to get ahead you got to do the shuck and jive So every day it's out of bed and onto 35 Putting on mascara in the rearview mirror In the back seat of her mind there's a little flash of fear Is this the life she wanted when she was a little girl Or is there something more out in the great big world? She started feeling crazy, she started thinking wild She wondered what would happen if she drove 600 miles She planned her getaway, she had the motive and the means That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen After twenty-too many years chasing wedding rings She traded in her Lexus, sold off all her things Goodbye to fancy dinners, goodbye to therapy She headed west on 20 with a chili recipe On the dash a pack of Salems and a half a pint of gin Not caring if she'd ever see the Metroplex again, no She drove all through the night toward that little border town It's time for starting over, no time for backing down Sunrise in Terlingua on that truck stop caffeine That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen She found a place in Agua Fria with a kitchen out the back Bought some pots and pans and she started to relax Stirrin' and a-tastin' out in the open air Sunshine on her skin, desert breezes in her hair She won the chili cook-off, went off to celebrate Dancin' at La Kiva like she's 'bout to levitate She kissed a river rat, they started singing drinking songs Said, I'm here for a good time, I'm not here for long Now they're headed for the desert in search of mescaline She planned her getaway, she had the motive and the means Sunrise in Terlingua on that truck stop caffeine Dancin' at the Starlight like she was seventeen That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen