cautionary tale from GRAVEYARD SHIFT by Winter Rowan

despite your preconceptions, it didn’t start with me
it started with misogyny fishing for sympathy
well, sure I lied and bent the truth just to stay alive
but the tall tales the tabloids tell don’t appreciate how I survived

AND THIS IS NOT A CAUTIONARY TALE
YOU SHOULD NEVER TELL A GIRL TO OBEY
YOU CAN’T JUST TELL ME TO STAY AT HOME
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS AT THE END OF THE DAY

friends have called me a freeloader, but didn’t see how hard I tried
didn’t see how my soul turned against me, my body, and my mind
and sometimes I wonder if I was digging my own grave
but there was nowhere I could turn for help, was I too far gone to save?

BUT THIS IS NOT A CAUTIONARY TALE
WHO CARES HOW I LET MYSELF STRAY?
WHO CARES IF I DID WOMANHOOD WRONG?
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS IN THEIR OWN WAY

and everything I did, I did so I could live
so, tell me what’s the worst you can forgive?

BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A CAUTIONARY TALE
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CHEAT TO GET YOUR WAY
AND THIS PATH STARTED IN YOUR MAN’S WORLD
SO, IT’S NOT MY FAULT AT THE END OF THE DAY

and I learned some tricks to get me through my life:
wear black clothes to hide the stains
melted wax keeps the pain away

now my rotten teeth bite down on free meals
after dinner my kiss is stiff
what’s the matter with me? why don’t I like it?

THIS IS NOT A CAUTIONARY TALE (x4)

• Folk
• Southern Gothic
• acoustic
• alt-country
• lo-fi
• Toronto