Mother fell in love with an Irish man
Said it was never her plan
To wake up wet in a morning sweat
By the sound of a second line band

Her boy was conceived in New Orleans
Following a hurricane or three
She thought, oh well, guess I'm going to hell
Another dad that’s an absentee

CHORUS:
Cabbages and kings
That’s how I see everything.
No one's gonna fool with me
It's true but I see through the skin
Of people who protect themselves
With layers like cabbages and kings

A steamer's horn announced I’d been born
In Charity with hair like corn
I smiled at Ma like an exploding sun
So bright with promise, that wet winter morn

I thought I was too cool for school
I played hooky and I played the fool
I left and lived a life without defenses
Of instinct, impulse and wild misrule

(Chorus)

I fell in love with an Irish girl
Her hair was river of dancing curls
Her chaos was her foundation
Her voice like a string of pearls

She said she only sang about playing games
In smoky bars to men in flames
I'd see her work these white collar jerks
Before they'd sneak out to the sidewalks of shame.

(Chorus)

Bridge:
Only when the jigsaw puzzle of life is done
Do you see that life was one fat hotdog bun
If I said I believed in horoscopes, I'd be a hypocrite
I'll burn that bridge when I get to it
I'll burn that bridge when I get to it

(Chorus)