3rd Place  - DSA Summer 2004 Lyric Contest

Low-Rent Mama
© 2004 Kim Ilene McDaniel (BMI) 
& Sean Michael O'Keefe (SOCAN) 

CHORUS

She was a low-rent mama with a high-rise mind

She was drinkin' black coffee, she was thinkin' white wine

A little rough 'round the edges, but her tastes were refined

She was a low-rent mama with a high-rise mind 

She worked all night long scrubbin' dull gray floors

On the graveyard shift at the big box store

She couldn't help thinkin' there was somethin' more

Than workin' all night long scrubbin' dull gray floors

BRIDGE 1

Back at home in the back of her fridge 

In an old lock box, one of daddy's last gifts

He said the hard life'll get ya like it's gonna get me

Put this money into learnin' and let learnin' set you free 

(INTERLUDE)

Her heart told her, girl, you gotta take that dare

Like your old man said, you gotta get your share

You gotta start from the bottom, but the books don't care

You're gonna rise to the top if you take that dare 

BRIDGE 2

Bars on the windows, 3 locks on the door

She had to make a break, she couldn't take it anymore

So she ran to the kitchen, pulled the box from the back

Made straight for the train and she got herself on track

Would've made her daddy proud, pullin' into College Station
Got a whole new life, when she got an education 

She was a low-rent mama with a high-rise mind

She was drinkin' black coffee, she was thinkin' white  wine

A little rough 'round the edges, but her tastes were refined

She was a low-rent mama with a high-rise mind 

She was a low-rent mama with a high-rise mind

She was drinkin' black coffee, she was thinkin' white wine

A little rough 'round the edges, but her taste was so fine

She was a low-rent mama with a high-rise mind

<See the Judge's Critique>