John Prine Follow

Wanda had a baby in nineteen fifty one
The father was a stranger and a stranger was the son
Call that child James Lewis, call these rooms a home
Changing all them diapers, polish all that chrome
C'mon baby, spend the night with me

All around the schoolyard playing all the games
Running, laughing back and forth the kid with two first names
Stranger in the closet, lock the diary
The past is running faster singing harmony
C'mon baby, spend the night with me

"God bless this kitchen", said the knick-knack shelf
The dinner's almost ready, go and wash yourself
Jimmy's growing up now and Wanda's growing old
The time is growin' shorter the nights are long and cold
C'mon baby, spend the night with me

Sneaking in the closet and through the diary
Now, don't you know all he saw was all there was to see
The whole town saw Jimmy on the six o'clock news
His brains were on the sidewalk and blood was on his shoes
C'mon baby, spend the night with me
C'mon baby, spend the night with me