She was a bruise, blue and fading
I was news for which no one was waiting

I was the luckiest kid alive
I never seen a day of no school
And I know I'm not pretty like mama was
But I sure as hell ain't no teacher's fool

She was a bruise, blue and fading
I was news for which no one was waiting

She sucked her Reds in motel beds
Right down to the filters with all kinds of sinners
Rubbed her eyes like Lotto tickets
Saying, 'Child, these eyes will be winners'

I know she's out there somewhere tonight
In a bar in Laredo, in a diner in Killeen
Turning that AM speaker high
While I'm down in Dallas turning seventeen

She was a bruise, blue and fading
I was news for which no one was waiting
She was a bruise, black and aching
I was bad news, and I was nobody's baby

Mama was a stoned out truckers' girl