Lyrics:John Prine Music:John Prine Her father was a failure Her mother was a comfort To a doctor and lawyer and indian chief. The shirt ran out of buttons He lost all his marbles at a baseball game And they went on relief. The bank took away their diplomas They locked them up inside of the chest And she moved away to oklahoma And got a tattoo on the side of her breast "god-damn, my socks are still hard" From lying on the sofa on the night she was over in my backyard Yeah, we was shooting the breeze out amongst the trees When a shot rang low And left her standing down by the side of the road Down by the side of the road Father have mercy, whoo whoo Get her a nurse please She's almost alone I saw her hand reaching out for the telephone We rather see her locked up inside a home Than see her standing down by the side of the road Down by the side of the road Headlights flashing on her skirt in the wind. Yonder comes a truck it drove by two men. Shotgun man leaned out and said do you want to take a ride? Out in the pale moonlight light. light light lie lie lie lie Too long in the hot sun She could've be miss wisconsin a long time ago Spent to much time inside of the early show We'd bought her a ticket but she didn't want to go She was standing down by the side of the road Down by the side of the road Headlights flashing, caught a skirt in the wind. Yonder comes a truck it drove by two men. Shotgun man leaned out and said do you want to take a ride? Out in through the pale moonlight Her father was a failure Her mother was a comfort To a doctor and lawyer and indian chief. The shirt made out of buttons He lost all his marbles at a baseball game And they went on relief. The bank took away their diplomas They locked them up inside of the chest And she moved away to oklahoma And got a tattoo on the side of her breast God-damn, my thoughts are still hard. From lying on the sofa on the night she was overi n my backyard Yeah, we was shooting the breeze out amongst the trees When a shot rang low And left her standing down by the side of the road Down by the side of the road Down by the side of the road Down by the side of the road