Lethal Dose

Again, Bleuvolt and Fadista come up with the best suggestions. The theme this time seems to be “family.” And calm down everyone, there’s plenty more to come!

Fadista: ‘”Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry - know that one? Mother turns out her daughter!’

“Well, I remember it all very well lookin’ back
It was the summer that I turned eighteen.
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
on the outskirts of New Orleans.

We didn’t have money for food or rent
to say the least we was hard-pressed
when Momma spent every last penny we had
to buy me a dancin’ dress.

Well, Momma washed and combed and curled my hair,
then she painted my eyes and lips.
Then I stepped into the satin dancin’ dress.
It had a split in the side clean up to my hips.

It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
and standin’ back from the lookin’ glass
was a woman
where a half grown kid had stood.

She said, “Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down!
Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down.
God forgive me for what I do,
but if you want out girl it’s up to you.
Now get on out, you better start sleepin’ uptown.”

Momma dabbed a little bit of perfume
on my neck and she kissed my cheek
Then I saw the tears welling up
in her troubled eyes as she started to speak

She looked at our pitiful shack and then
she looked at me and took a ragged breath
She said, Your Pa’s runned off, and I’m real sick
and the baby’s gonna starve to death.

She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
“To thine own self be true”
and I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
the toe of my high-healed shoe

It sounded like somebody else was talkin’
askin’, “Momma what do I do?”
She said, “Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy.
They’ll be nice to you.”

She said, “Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down!
Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down.
God forgive me for what I do,
But if you want out girl it’s up to you
Now don’t let me down,
now get on out, you better start sleepin’ uptown.”

That was the last time I saw my momma
when I left that rickety shack
The welfare people came and took the baby.
Momma died and I ain’t been back.

But the wheels of fate had started to turn
and for me there was no other way out.
It wasn’t very long after that I knew exactly
what my momma was talkin’ ’bout.

I knew what I had to do.
Then I made myself this solemn vow:
I’s gonna to be a lady someday
though I didn’t know when or how.

But I couldn’t see spendin’ the rest of my life
with my head hung down in shame.
You know I mighta been born just plain white trash.
but Fancy was my name.

She said, “Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down!
Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down.
God forgive me for what I do,
but if you want out girl it’s up to you.
Now get on out, you better start sleepin’ uptown.”

Wasn’t long after that a benevolent man
took me in off the streets
One week later I was pourin’ his tea
in a five roomed penthouse suite.

Since then I’ve charmed a king, a congressman
and an occasional aristocrat
and I got me an elegant Georgia mansion
and a New York townhouse flat.

Now I ain’t done bad

Now in this world there’s a lot of self-righteous
hypocrites who call me bad.
They criticize Momma for turning me out
No matter how little we had.

But I haven’t had to worry ’bout nothin’
now for nigh on fifteen years
But I can still hear the desperation
in my poor mommas voice ringin’ in my ears.

“Here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down!
Oh, here’s your last chance, Fancy, don’t let me down.
God forgive me for what I do,
but if you want out girl it’s up to you.
Now get on out, you better start sleepin’ uptown.”

Fancy and her friend, Fabulous, uptown.

Wow! I thought Patches’ parents were neglectful … not only do they join in the public ridicule of his nickname, they guilt trip him beyond belief:

PATCHES
Clarence Carter

I was born and raised down in Alabama on a farm way back up in the woods. Oh
I was so ragged folks used to call me “Patches”. Papa used to tease me about
it, but deep down inside dad was hurtin’ ’cause he’d done the best he could.

My papa was a great old man
I can see him with a shovel in his hand
Education that he never had
But he did wonders when the times got bad
The little money from the crops we raised
Barely paid the bills we made

Oh life whipped him
Down to the ground
When he tried to get up
Life would kick him back down
On the day papa called me
To his dyin’ bed
Placed his hand on my shoulders
And in tears he said

Patches
I’m depending on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, it’s all left up to you

Two days later papa passed away
And I became a man that day
Everyday I had to work the fields
‘Cause that’s the only way
We got our meals
See, I was the oldest of the family
And everybody was depending on me

Now the years have passed
And everybody’s grown
Mama’s been livin’
In a brand new home
Lord knows it took
A lot of sweat and tears
And my daddy’s voice
To help us through the years
He said -

Patches
I’m depending on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, it’s all left up to you

Daddy had been sick for a long time, flat on his back. Every evenin’ after
we’d finish our chores and eat our dinner, we’d all go into papa’s room to
cheer him up a little. And this particular day dad was in good spirits,
sittin’ on the side of the bed, tellin’ mama how good she looked. When all
of a sudden, papa had a pain in his chest. I was too young to understand,
talkin’ about a heart attack here. Mama rushed us all out of the room into
the hallway. About ten minutes later she came out with tears in her eyes.
She called out to me, “Patches, Patches, get in here, boy. Your daddy wanna
see you.” I went runnin’ into papa’s room, there papa lay. Daddy had tears
in his eyes. I knew something was wrong, daddy was a poor man, but all of my
life he’d been a proud man. I knelt down on one knee beside the bed, papa
put his hand on my shoulder. He said, “Patches, Patches, boy, the hammer of
life done beat your old papa down to the ground, and I ain’t got nobody to
turn to to take care of mama and the younger. So what I want you to do is
promise me, son, is that you’re gonna do your best to help your mama as much
as you can.” I said, “Papa, I’m gonna do my best.” But little did I know
then like I know now, that tryin’ to climb life’s mountains searchin’ for a
top where there ain’t no top, sometimes you find yourself frustrated, lazy.
But every time I feel like I can’t live my life like I want to, my mind goes
back to that day when I see those tears in my daddy’s eyes. But most of all
I remember his words, “Patches, I’m dependin’ on you, boy.” Every time I
feel like givin’ up, I hear his voice. “Patches, Patches, Patches, Patches -”

I’m depending on you, son
I’ve tried to do my best
It’s up to you to do the rest

Patches
I’m depending on you, son
I’ve tried to do my best
It’s up to you to do the rest
Patches
I’m depending on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, it’s all left up to you

Patches today, in his shanty.

Bluevolt: ‘”Run Joey Run.” This is some sick shit!’

Run Joey Run
David Geddes

Daddy please don’t, it wasn’t his fault, he means so much to me
Daddy please don’t, we’re gonna get married…just you wait and see.

She called me up, late last night, she said Joe, don’t come over
My dad and I just had a fight, and he stormed out the door
I’ve never seen him act his this way, my God, hes going crazy
He says he’s gonna make you pay, for what we’ve done, he’s got a gun, so

Run Joey Run Joey Run
Daddy please don’t, it wasn’t his fault, he means so much to me
Daddy please don’t, we’re gonna get married…just you wait and see.

I got in my car and I drove like mad, till I reached Julie’s place
She ran to me, with tears in her eyes, and bruises on her face
All at once, I saw him there, sneaking up behind me, WATCH OUT!
Then Julie yelled, he’s got a gun, and she stepped in front of me
Suddenly, a shot rang out, and I saw Julie falling
I ran to her, I held her close, when I looked down, my hands were red,
and heres the last words Julie said…

Daddy please don’t, it wasn’t his fault, he means so much to me
Daddy please don’t, we’re gonna get married…..aaahhh..ahhhh
ahhhh….ahhhhh

Run Joey run Joey run Joey run Joey run Joey run

… cuz Julie didn’t run fast enough!