“He gave me a ring that was worn by his mother, And he takes me out dancin' every Saturday night”

song ~ “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis”  
artist ~ Tom Waits  

Hey Charlie, I'm pregnant and living on 9th Street
Right above a dirty bookstore off Euclid Avenue
And I stopped takin' dope and I quit drinkin' whiskey
And my old man plays the trombone and works out at the track

He says that he loves me even though it's not his baby
He says that he'll raise him up like he would his own son
And he gave me a ring that was worn by his mother
And he takes me out dancin' every Saturday night

And hey Charlie, I think about you every time I pass a fillin' station
On account of all the grease you used to wear in your hair
And I still have that record of Little Anthony and the Imperials
But someone stole my record player, now how do you like that?

Hey Charlie, I almost went crazy after Mario got busted
I went back to Omaha to live with my folks
But everyone I used to know was either dead or in prison
So I came back to Minneapolis, this time I think I'm gonna stay

Hey Charlie, I think I'm happy for the first time since my accident
And I wish I had all the money we used to spend on dope
I'd buy me a used car lot and I wouldn't sell any of em
I'd just drive a different car every day, dependin' on how I feel

Hey Charlie, for chrissakes, if you want to know the truth of it
I don't have a husband, he don't play the trombone
I need to borrow money to pay this lawyer, and Charlie hey
I'll be eligible for parole come Valentine's day    _{(Image source)}

Comments 

This bittersweet song is another fine piece of white urban blues, circa late-20th century, by the gravelly voiced Tom Waits.  

A Happier New Year?

The narrator is a hard-luck prostitute who has written a Christmas card to a man named Charlie.

She claims to have all the pieces of her life put back together. She claims to be in a stable, loving relationship with a clean-living, artistic family man.

While she’s a bit nostalgic for the old fun times with Charlie, she’s also dreaming of a better future. (The key word is “dreaming.”  See following section.)  

An Unhappy Old Year

In the final verse, she admits that none of the above is true. In fact, she’s single, alone, and in prison. And her reason for sending Charlie the card is to ask to borrow money to pay her lawyer.

She may still be dreaming, but the fact is, her future does not look any brighter than either her present or her past.      _{(Image source)}
Tom Waits – "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"  _{(Right-click to hear on YouTube)}
Lyrics by Tom Waits, courtesy of – AZLyrics.com
References – Wikipedia

This is my entry in the 60-Day Lyrics Challenge.
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