DONALD AND LYDIA
(John Prine)


John Prine - 1971





Small town, bright lights, Saturday night
Pinballs and pool halls flashing their light
Makin' change behind the counter in a penny arcade
Sat the fat girl daughter of Virginia and Ray...........Lydia

Lydia hid her thoughts like a cat
Behind her small eyes sunk deep in her fat
She read a romance magazine up in her room
It felt just like Sunday on Saturday afternoon

But dreamin' just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby
Like sunshine feedin' daisies
Like the love hidden deep in your heart

Bunk beds, shaved heads, Saturday night
A warehouse of strangers with sixty watt lights
Starin' through the ceilin', just wanting to be
Lay one of too many, a young PFC...........Donald

There were spaces between Donald and whatever he said
Strangers had forced him to live in his head
He envisioned the details of a romantic scene
After midnight in the stillness of the barrack's latrine

But dreamin' just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby
Like sunshine feedin' daisies
Like the love hidden deep in your heart

Hot love, cold love, no love at all
A portrait of guilt is hung on a wall
Nothin' is wrong, nothin' is right
Donald and Lydia made love that night..........Love

They made love in the mountains, they made love in the streams
They made love in the valleys, they made love in their dreams
But when they was finished there was nothin' to say
'Cause mostly they made love from ten miles away

But dreamin' just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby
Like sunshine feedin' daisies
Like the love hidden deep in your heart






(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - November 2012)