Cactus Rose
I grew up wild and I grew up fast
Got a long dark future and a shady past
'Cos I never knew such a thing as youth
I was weaned on gin and dry vermouth
Yeah I used to lie in a smoky room
While the world slipped past like a fading moon
And I'd watch the men both night and day
Sneakin' down the back stairway
I'm the child that everyone knows
The only child of Cactus Rose
Well I recall one Texas night
When there broke out one terrible fight
When the smoke had cleared and the night was pale
They were haulin' Cactus off to jail
They called it aggravated assault
But I was there and it wasn't her fault
Some man with a badge made a sorry try
Decided he'd take what he couldn't buy
And I'm the only one who knows
They put the frame on Cactus Rose
Well I hear folks talking now and then
They say she lived a life of sin
But she just did what she had to do
There's a side to Rose they never knew
Each night when she tucked me into bed
I remember those tearful words she said
"Child I love you more than anyone knows
You're the heart of this old Cactus Rose"
Yes I'm the child that everyone knows
The only child of Cactus Rose
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