Lyrics Dress of Laces - Nanci Griffith

Dress of Laces

And she has a dress of laces
It’s worn in many places
The shoulder hangs upon her by a thread
And she has a need for sharin'
With someone warm and carin'
And no one sees a heart that’s underfed
Young girl in love, young girl in tears
She hasn’t seen the man she loves in years
And her mother is a waitress
At the harbor bar, good graces
Where the seamen come from fishin' with their lines
And it was one of them that caught her
And left her with a daughter
Who lives with hate and loving him in mind
Young girl in love, young girl in tears
She hasn’t seen the man she loves in years
So the young girl goes to the water
And she calls out for her father
But she ain’t seen the old man in some time
Yes, and he was always boastin'
Just a drinkin' and a toastin'
And one day he left his family far behind
Young girl in love, young girl in tears
She hasn’t seen the man she loves in years
So her mother comes home a drinkin'
With some sailor who’s a thinkin' out loud
That he might stay with them awhile
So she loads her mother’s pistol
And she shoots him as he whistles
A song about a sailor’s life in style
Young girl in love, young girl in tears
She kills the only man she’s loved in years
And with him dies her hopes, her dreams, her fears
And she has a dress of laces
It’s worn in many places
The shoulder hangs upon her by a thread
And she has a need for sharin'
With someone warm and carin'
But no one sees a heart that’s underfed
No one sees a heart that’s underfed