Fancy
He Is Legend Lyrics

I remember it all very well lookin' back
Reflecting on my past, I can recall everything clearly

It was the summer I turned eighteen
This particular memory occurred when I became eighteen years old

We lived in a one room, rundown shack
My family and I resided in a decrepit, one-room dwelling

On the outskirts of New Orleans
Our home was located at the edge of the city of New Orleans

We didn't have money for food or rent
We were devoid of the means to pay for our basic necessities

To say the least we were hard pressed
To put it mildly, we were in a very difficult situation

But Mama spent every last penny she had
Despite our financial hardship, my mother used every cent she had for a particular purpose

To buy me a dancin' dress
She bought me a dress specifically for dancing

Well Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
My mother meticulously cleaned and styled my hair

She painted my eyes and lips well then I stepped down into
After ensuring every aspect of me was ready for the occasion, I put on my dancing dress and prepared to go out

A satin' Dancin' dress that had a split on the side clean up To my hip
The dancing dress was made of satin and had a split up to my hip

Well it was red velvet trim and it fit me good
The dress had a red velvet trim and it fit me perfectly

Standin' back from the lookin' glass
Stepping back from the mirror

There stood a woman where a half grown kid Had stood
I saw a grown woman in the reflection rather than a young, immature girl

Here's your one chance Fancy don't let Me down
This is your opportunity, Fancy, don't ruin it

Mama dabbled a little bit of perfume on my neck
My mother added a small amount of perfume to my neck

And then she kissed my cheek And I saw the tears wellin' up in her troubled eyes
My mother kissed my cheek as tears filled her eyes, revealing her worry and concern

When she started to speak She looked at a pitiful shack and then she looked at me and took a ragged Ragged breath
Speaking with difficulty, my mother looked around our miserable home and then at me, pausing to take a ragged breath

She said your Pa's run off and I'm real sick And the baby's gonna starve to death
She explained that my father had left us, she was ill, and that we had no means to feed the baby, who was at risk of dying

She handed me a heart shaped locket that said To thine own self be true
My mother gave me a locket in the shape of a heart that had an inscription reading 'be true to yourself'

And then I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across The toe of my high heeled shoe
I felt a shiver go down my spine as I watched a cockroach crawl across the toe of my high-heeled shoe

It sounded like somebody else that was talkin' Askin' Mama what do I do
I had a strange feeling that it wasn't me who was talking, as I asked my mother for advice on what I should do

She said be nice to the gentlemen Fancy They'll be nice to you
My mother advised me to be kind to men, and in return, they would be kind to me

Lord forgive me for what I do, But if you want out Well it's up to you Well don't let me down Now your Mama's gonna move you uptown
I ask for forgiveness from God for my actions, but if you want to leave, it's your choice. Just don't disappoint me. I promise to take you to a better place.

Well, that was the last time I saw my Ma The night I left that rickety shack
When I left the shack, it was the last time I saw my mother

The welfare people came and took the baby Mama died and I ain't been back
Social services came and took the baby away, and my mother passed away. I never returned to the shack after that

And for me there was no way out It wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly What Mama'd been talkin
I felt trapped and hopeless until I realized what my mother had been telling me all those years ago

I knew what I had to do but I made myself this Solemn vow Oh I's gonna be a lady someday Though I didn't know when or how
I knew I had to find a way out, so I made a vow to myself that I would become a refined woman someday, even if I didn't know how or when

I couldn't see spending the rest of my life With my head hung down in shame you know I might have been born just plain white trash
I couldn't bear the thought of a life filled with shame and self-pity. Even though I was born in poverty and considered low class, I refused to let it define me

But Fancy was my name
Despite my humble roots, I took on the name 'Fancy'

It wasn't long after a benevolent man Took me in off the street
Shortly after, a kind man took me in from the streets

And one week later I was pourin' his tea In a five room hotel suite
Just a week later, I was pouring tea for him in a hotel suite with five rooms

I charmed a king, congressman And the occasional aristocrat
I became close with influential people, including a king, congressman, and even members of the aristocracy

Then I got me a Georgia mansion In an elegant New York townhouse flat
I acquired a mansion in Georgia, as well as an elegant townhouse flat in New York

And I ain't done bad
Overall, I've lived a good life

Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous Hippocrates That would call me bad
There are many people in the world who are hypocritical and might criticize me for my actions

They criticize Mama for turning me out No matter how little we had
Some individuals blame my mother for leaving me in such dire circumstances, no matter how little we had

But though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin' For nigh on fifteen years I can still hear the desperation in my poor Mama's voice ringin' in my ear
Although I haven't had to worry about anything for almost fifteen years, I still hear my mother's desperate voice ringing in my ear

Lord, forgive me for what I do But if you want out well it's up to you Now don't let me down Your Mama's gonna help you uptown Uptown oh oh
I pray for forgiveness, but if you want to leave, the choice is yours. Just don't disappoint me. Your mother will help you move to a better place