john prine
the great compromise
I knew a girl who was almost a lady She had a way with all the men in her life Every inch of her blossomed in beauty And she was born on the fourth of July  Well she lived in an aluminum house trailer And she worked in a juke box saloon And she spent all the money that I give her Just to see the old man in the moon  I used to sleep at the foot of old glory And awake in the dawn's early light But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes I was a victim of the great compromise  Well we'd go out on Saturday evenings To the drive-in on Route 41 And it was there that I first suspected That she was doin' what she'd already done  She said, "Johnny won't you get me some popcorn" And she knew I had to walk pretty far And as soon as I passed through the moonlight She hopped into a foreign sports car  I used to sleep at the foot of old glory And awake in the dawn's early light But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes I was a victim of the great compromise  Well you know I could have beat up that fellow But it was her that had hopped into his car Many times I'd fought to protect her But this time she was goin' too far  Now some folks they call me a coward 'Cause I left her at the drive-in that night But I'd rather have names thrown at me Than to fight for a thing that ain't right  I used to sleep at the foot of old glory And awake in the dawn's early light But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes I was a victim of the great compromise  Now she writes all the fellows love letters Saying "Greetings, come and see me real soon" And they go and line up in the barroom And spend the night in that sick woman's room  But sometimes I get awful lonesome And I wish she was my girl instead But she won't let me live with her And she makes me live in my head  I used to sleep at the foot of old glory And awake in the dawn's early light But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes I was a victim of the great compromise