A Stone For Bessie Smith Lyrics

isn't it amazing

shakes you to the bone

she bought a stone

for bessie smith

she bought bessie smith

a stone

she got it for

her grave-site

on a temporary loan

but she forgot

she had not paid

for her own

she forgot she had not paid

she forgot she had not paid

after all the contracts

and arrangements had been made

she went to bessie's grave

and marked it with a stone

but she still

had to pay for her own



she went home

to her class reunion

where a class-mate

he confessed

she wouldn't want this

getting out

but she used to be the best

in school she was a nice girl

as descent as the rest

though she never was

conservatively dressed



isn't it amazing

you think she could've known

she bought a stone

for bessie smith

she bought bessie smith

a stone

she got it for

her grave-site

on a temporary loan

but she forgot

she had not paid

for her own

she forgot she had not paid

she forgot she had not paid

no sooner had the letters

on the deed begun to fade

when her ashes had been scattered

been battered and been blown

she still had to pay

for her own

she knew

miss gloria swanson

on a tv show they met

they talked across

a hundred years

miss gloria's with us yet

but janis was a gambler

who'd already lost a bet

and the time had come

to settle up

her debt



isn't it amazing

shakes you to the bone

she bought a stone

for bessie smith

she bought bessie smith

a stone

she got it up

for bessie

on a temporary loan

but she forgot

she had not paid

for her own.