Lyrics
IntroVerse 1
She wakes up every morning, always before eight
Puts her hair up, heads to the kitchen, tells the boys, "Get on your way"
Opens the pantry, it's still empty, only white bread and bologna
The husband pounds his hot coffee and says, "Boy, I gotta leave"
She spins around, the youngest now sobbing, "Mommy, please"
Without a breath, the brother says, "I don't know, it wasn't me"
Pre-Chorus
She does all she can to hold it in and get them on their way
Juggling lunches and change for milk, says, "Boys, please behave"
Puts two notes she wrote on napkins into both their paper bags
She falls down, like her knees gave out, before she starts her day
Chorus
She's the only thing in these men's lives who makes sure they're all safe
Working three jobs, cutting hair, taking buses to work fourteen-hour days
Her back is crooked, feet in pain,
holes in her shoes, then it begins to rain
But she keeps going, keeps on fighting, through the struggle and the strain
Verse 2
She hurries on to get ready, with nothing left to eat
Grabs a pen, her glasses, checks, and a stack of bills to see how many will be late
Rushing through Seattle rain, to the metro still no makeup on her face
Drops her last coins in the bus and quietly finds a place
Writing checks like a madwoman, her ledger full of post-its, she's run out of space
For most on Friday they have a weekend but not her, scheduled six days, boys baseball on Sundays
Chorus
She's the only thing in these men's lives who makes sure they're all safe
Working three jobs, cutting hair, taking buses to work fourteen-hour days
Her back is crooked, feet in pain, holes in her shoes, then it begins to rain
But she keeps going, keeps on fighting, through the struggle and the strain
Verse 3
She enters the salon, opens up, first customer is always late
She moves the schedule around, listens to the old bat bitch and says, "love the hair, but I forgot my purse, I'll pay another day"
All she does is keep smiling and says, "Okay, I'm sure, like last time it was just a small mistake"
But now the woman's mad, insists, "Hunny, remember I already paid"
Her anger's building, she reads her ledger, this woman never pays
She eats the cost, fighting tears rolling down her face
Pulls the ball of Kleenex out her pocket, pulls her head up, applies her cheap red lipstick to her face
Deep breath, a big sigh, and she says, "It will be okay"
This is her life, her routine, she does this every day
Chorus
She's the only thing in these men's lives who makes sure they're all safe
Working three jobs, cutting hair, taking buses to work fourteen-hour days
Her back is crooked, feet in pain, holes in her shoes, then it begins to rain
But she keeps going, keeps on fighting, through the struggle and the strain
Bridge
Through all her pain, she was strong, she never once complained
Always surrounded by people but inside she feels alone
She sacrificed most her life to try to make a happy home
