Well, I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
She said, "Your pa's run'd off and I'm real sick
She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
From now on fifteen years
And she painted my eyes and lips

Though I didn't know when or how
She looked at our pitiful shack

On the outskirts of New Orleans

She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
In an elegant New York townhouse flat
Lord, forgive me for what I do

Now don't let me down, honey
She handed me a heart shaped locket that said

No matter how little we had

And the baby's gonna starve to death"
Oh, and I guess she did

You know I might have been born just plain white trash
"They'll be nice to you"

Here's your one chance Fancy, don't let me down"
It sounded like somebody else that was talkin'

I charmed a king, a congressman

Well, I can still hear the desperation
In a five room hotel suite

Took me in off the streets
To say the least we were hard pressed
And an occasional aristocrat
As she started to speak
We lived in a one room rundown shack
Lord, forgive me for what I do, but if you want out
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
One week later I was pourin' his tea
They criticize Mama for turning me out

That was the last time I saw my ma
It was red, velvet trimmin' and it fit me good
Mama died and I ain't been back
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
In my poor Mama's voice ringin' in my ears
With my head hung down in shame
Mama dabbed a little bit of perfume on my neck
What my mama'd been talkin' about
She said," Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"

I knew what I had to do
The welfare people came and took the baby
She said, "Here's your chance Fancy, don't let me down
Standin' back from the lookin' glass
Weren't very long 'til I knew exactly
"Here's your one chance Fancy, don't let me down
A half grown kid had stood
"To thine own self be true"
The night I left that rickety shack
To buy me a dancin' dress
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Here's your one chance Fancy, don't let me down"
Well, it's up to you, and don't let me down
That I's gonna be a lady someday
And I ain't done bad
Your mama's gonna move you uptown

There stood a woman where
But Fancy was my name
And for me there was no way out

And I made myself this solemn vow
Askin', "Mama, what do I do?"
That had a split from the side clean up to my hip

Then I stepped into a satin dancin' dress
The toe of my high heeled shoe
Then she kissed my cheek
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
We didn't have money for food or rent
Now your mama's gonna move you uptown
She said,"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy"
And then I got me a Georgia mansion
Then Mama spent every last penny we had
And then I saw the tears wellin' up in her troubled eyes

Weren't long after a benevolent man
She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous hypocrites
They call me bad
But though I ain't had no worry 'bout nothin'