Once when our mother called She had a voice of last year's cough We passed around the phone Sharing a word about Oregon When my turn came, I was ashamed When my turn came, I was ashamed
Once when we moved away She came to Romulus for a day Her Chevrolet broke down We prayed it'd never be fixed or found We touched her hair, we touched her hair We touched her hair, we touched her hair
When she had her last child Once when she had some boyfriends, some wild She moved away quite far Our grandpa bought us a new VCR We watched it all night, we grew up in spite of it We watched it all night, we grew up in spite of it
We saw her once last fall Our grandpa died in a hospital gown She didn't seem to care She smoked in her room and colored her hair And I was ashamed, I was ashamed of her I was ashamed, I was ashamed of her I was ashamed, I was ashamed of her I was ashamed of her