the day she left town they up and cried
as the back end of her hunk of junk crossed the town line
they stood and stared until they couldn’t see any more of her
they said to themselves, that child will redeem us

and i remember that i wanted to be that girl

they used to tell stories of her down at the diner
baby, don’t you know there ain’t been another girl finer
in this ghost town. child she gave us a name
they said to themselves, that girl’s going to redeem us
(just you wait and see)

and all my life i wanted to be that girl

the day the bus dropped her of at the town line,
the town was still sleeping with their tired dry eyes
when she knocked, momma didn’t know her except for her name
she kept saying what a shame shame shame shame you are

(you were our dreamgirl and you crushed us like dirt
and we can’t seem to redeem ourselves)

one day i asked this boy how she could make everyone cry
he said honey, they do that when dreams are born
and again when they die