fireline road

my name is alice walker

they never told me why

i'm not named for anybody

it's a name out of the sky

they thought it was pretty i guess

way back when

i'll change it some day

i like to pretend

i'm just a visitor here

like on one of those shows

in a house full of people i don't hardly know

but we'll all get to home in a week or so

back to real life

and i'm picking up the carpet in the corner where i crash

i'm too tired to separate the pennies from the trash

and i don't guess it matters even why jesus died

i can tell you about sins

they got this duplex up on fire line road

it's way out from town

so the rent's pretty low

not much more than a cinder block cell

just like the one next door

and the next one as well

and the bus don't run out here but three times a day

the 7-11

it's a full mile away

and there's a car in the yard

mostly rust and dents

we moved here in it

but it hasn't run since

forget my name

can you forget my face

gonna lose myself in some finer place

finer places

where i'll go

i'll leave no trace out on fire line road

and there's a pile of daddy's quick-picks scattered on the floor

among the half empty bottles

that chair against the door

in case he comes home drinkin'

with lovin on his mind

i'd never let it happen

but that don't stop him tryin'

my sister weren't so lucky

he got to her too soon

she never saw it coming

he knew just what to do

to keep her silent

i swear to god i'll kill him if i can

he said she made him do it

after all he's just a man

forget my name

can you forget my face

gonna lose myself in some finer place

finer places

where i'll go

i'll leave no trace out on fire line road

now she snorts that crank

and stares at the phone

she ain't big as a minute

just skin on bone

she bites her nails right down to the quick

and they've taken her babies

and they won't give them back

and i know she loves them and god knows she tries

but when you're that far down you're just going to get high

it's like eating or breathing to the rest of us

she can't even feel bad without the stuff

forget my name

can you forget my face

gonna lose myself in some finer place

finer places

where i'll go

and i'll leave no trace out on fire line road

my name is alice walker

they never told me why