Eleanor young, eleanor child
standing on a lonely hilltop in the appalachian wild
eleanor sing, eleanor scream
shout loud for your own green world
doors dont open for the country girl
oh, they lied to you
they sung to you songs you weren't meant to hear
they showed you life your eyes were never meant to see
yeah, you should have seen right through
but you believed

eleanor grow, eleanor cold
midnight in a dim-lit diner, in the driving detroit snow
eleanor yearn, eleanor learn
one child with no last name
your boyfriend runs who do you blame
oh, he lied to you
he did to you things they taught you were sin
he took from you the best that was within you
he showed you things your eyes should never have seen
and the saddest thing of all, baby you believed
yeah, yeah, the saddest thing of all, you believed
yeah mama you believed

eleanor age, eleanor cage
see california on new year's day
sun shines warm on the rose parade
eleanor ache, eleanor break
come out west with your last born child
i grew up scared, weird, and wild
oh you lied to me
you hid from me knowledge i should have known
you kept from me the life that was my own
you shielded me from things i should have seen
for a very short while mama, i believed...