Ribbon Bows

There is a spring
Not far from here
The water runs
Both sweet and clear
Both sweet and clear
And cold
Could crack your bones
With veins of gold

I stood a-wagging
At the tap
Just a-waiting
On the lagging, rising sap
I held the cold
Tin ladle to my lip
At the shrine of the thousand arms
I lowered my eyes to sip

What a beautiful day
To catch my drift
Or be caught up
In it
You want your love, love?
Come and get your love
I only took it back
Because I thought you didn't

How my ears did ring
At the municipal pound
From that old hangdog
To which I was bound
Curled 'round the bottom rung
Doesn't anybody want you?
Well, come on, darlin'
I could use someone like you around

I am not like you
I ain't from this place
And I do reserve the right
To repeat all my same mistakes
And, in the night, like you
I certainly bite and chew
What I can find
And never seem to lose the taste

What a horrible face
I feel me make
For
Pete's sake!
What you have told me
I cannot erase
Though I keep on saying
And I do believe it is not too late

All day you're hassling me with trifles
Black nose of the dog
As cold as a rifle
Indicating, with a nudge
God, no god, god, no god
Sweet, appraising eye of the dog
Blink once if god
Twice if no god

My mama may be
Ashamed of me
With all of my
Finery
Carrying on, whooping it up
'Til the early morn
Lost and lorn
Among the madding revelry

Sure, I can pass
Honey, I can pass
Particularly when I start
To tip my glass
I'll be a sport and have a go
At that old song, singing unabashed
About "them city girls with their ribbon bows
and their fancy sash"

But though I get so sad
I could swear the night makes a motion to claim me
Around that second verse, I reckon I've felt worse
And still held fast
But later on when I am alone
Alone at last
Well, I take my god to task
I take my doggone god to task