03-20-2015, 10:14 PM
They were children, hand in hand;
sister steering brother through new wonderland.
In the sultry, steaming streets near the suburban park
Jeremy and Loretta played outside until dark.
It was never going to last.
Growing up is gradual but way too fast;
soon sisters run straight on while brothers circle round.
Jeremy and Loretta, folks called them Lost and Found.
She was twelve when momma died.
Papa left when Jeremy had just turned five.
Neither knew what made the sun walk round the sky;
Jeremy and Loretta, the kids that didn't cry.
Sister-mother worked a while.
School was just a meal a day, they walked the mile.
Morning streets were tempting them with grown-up ways.
Jeremy and Loretta were slowly led astray.
Boy, it rained in early May.
Slick-dick dudes in Chevrolets went on their way;
‘til Loretta figured she could blow a guy.
Jeremy and Loretta were soon to say goodbye.
Jeremy was lost again;
walking slow in wind and chill and driving rain.
Sister-brother loving only lasts so long,
Jeremy and Loretta sang their last love song.
Summer came but brought no sun.
Things went bad to worse for almost everyone.
Food was short and Jeremy had bunked off school.
Jeremy and Loretta lived by different rules.
Loretta
Just nineteen and once looked fine;
living in a bedsit by the down-town line.
Every night her bed got shared by half the town.
Loretta wished that Jeremy was still around.
Jeremy
He was tired of being cold.
A suit came, made him leave and the house got sold.
Livin’ rough, some nights he’d sleep, some nights he cried.
Jeremy dreamed Loretta was still by his side.
In a late night brawlin’ bar,
three drunks dragged a girl out to a waiting car.
No one seemed to care; a bar, a whore, a fight.
Jeremy heard Loretta, swearing at the night.
Limousine shone black as tar.
Windows dark, but through the back door left ajar,
smoke and laughter poured out in to silent night.
Jeremy saw Loretta; weeping, naked, white.
Guess he never thought it through.
Fig’ring he was meant to do what brothers do;
drag her from the car and slam the door real hard.
Jeremy hauled Loretta to a safe churchyard.
There they lay between cold graves,
wrapped up in a banner saying “Jesus Saves”.
Morning came, it soon got light but still they slept.
Jeremy woke Loretta; smiling, they both wept.
Soon she found some clothes to wear;
taken from Church Charity, she didn’t care.
Stole some food and shared it while they drank the rain.
Jeremy and Loretta, together once again.
But Loretta had to go.
Her trick was waiting for her and she must show.
In a cab she blew enough for them to live a while.
Jeremy and Loretta walked that same old mile.
And they laughed at everyone,
then life's laces, well, it seems they came undone.
She mixed it with her pimp, and he got mad drunk.
Jeremy and Loretta... together, killed the punk.
Same old sun came up next day;
TV said that in the night they'd run away.
Loretta, she got picked up by a travelling man.
Jeremy walked, like big men do, he never ran.
They hadn't planned to meet, or to keep in touch,
but the paper's said they loved each other very much,
Jeremy and Loretta.
tectak 2015
Thanks to John Prine and Old Crow Medicine Show for the inspiration
sister steering brother through new wonderland.
In the sultry, steaming streets near the suburban park
Jeremy and Loretta played outside until dark.
It was never going to last.
Growing up is gradual but way too fast;
soon sisters run straight on while brothers circle round.
Jeremy and Loretta, folks called them Lost and Found.
She was twelve when momma died.
Papa left when Jeremy had just turned five.
Neither knew what made the sun walk round the sky;
Jeremy and Loretta, the kids that didn't cry.
Sister-mother worked a while.
School was just a meal a day, they walked the mile.
Morning streets were tempting them with grown-up ways.
Jeremy and Loretta were slowly led astray.
Boy, it rained in early May.
Slick-dick dudes in Chevrolets went on their way;
‘til Loretta figured she could blow a guy.
Jeremy and Loretta were soon to say goodbye.
Jeremy was lost again;
walking slow in wind and chill and driving rain.
Sister-brother loving only lasts so long,
Jeremy and Loretta sang their last love song.
Summer came but brought no sun.
Things went bad to worse for almost everyone.
Food was short and Jeremy had bunked off school.
Jeremy and Loretta lived by different rules.
Loretta
Just nineteen and once looked fine;
living in a bedsit by the down-town line.
Every night her bed got shared by half the town.
Loretta wished that Jeremy was still around.
Jeremy
He was tired of being cold.
A suit came, made him leave and the house got sold.
Livin’ rough, some nights he’d sleep, some nights he cried.
Jeremy dreamed Loretta was still by his side.
In a late night brawlin’ bar,
three drunks dragged a girl out to a waiting car.
No one seemed to care; a bar, a whore, a fight.
Jeremy heard Loretta, swearing at the night.
Limousine shone black as tar.
Windows dark, but through the back door left ajar,
smoke and laughter poured out in to silent night.
Jeremy saw Loretta; weeping, naked, white.
Guess he never thought it through.
Fig’ring he was meant to do what brothers do;
drag her from the car and slam the door real hard.
Jeremy hauled Loretta to a safe churchyard.
There they lay between cold graves,
wrapped up in a banner saying “Jesus Saves”.
Morning came, it soon got light but still they slept.
Jeremy woke Loretta; smiling, they both wept.
Soon she found some clothes to wear;
taken from Church Charity, she didn’t care.
Stole some food and shared it while they drank the rain.
Jeremy and Loretta, together once again.
But Loretta had to go.
Her trick was waiting for her and she must show.
In a cab she blew enough for them to live a while.
Jeremy and Loretta walked that same old mile.
And they laughed at everyone,
then life's laces, well, it seems they came undone.
She mixed it with her pimp, and he got mad drunk.
Jeremy and Loretta... together, killed the punk.
Same old sun came up next day;
TV said that in the night they'd run away.
Loretta, she got picked up by a travelling man.
Jeremy walked, like big men do, he never ran.
They hadn't planned to meet, or to keep in touch,
but the paper's said they loved each other very much,
Jeremy and Loretta.
tectak 2015
Thanks to John Prine and Old Crow Medicine Show for the inspiration