D
She was something in her formative years
G
She'd hide her accent it would reappear
D A
When she would brag on what daddy bought last night
D
All the pretty girls were in that crowd
G
To tease a hand full of poor kids out loud
D A D
And even then i knew it wasn't right
G A D G
Smoke rise, you were never kind
G A D
Good news i left you all behind
G A D A G
Some who hope that it would last
A D
Smoke rise i'm glad you're in my past
D
Most of the kids were better than me
G
Or at least they thought so and it was plain to see
D A
The children were cruel and i didn't have a fighting chance
D
I wasn't a jock, i wasn't a brain
G
We weren't well off and mama couldn't explain
D A D
Why no one would take a poor boy to the dance
-chorus 2x-
D
Spoiled rich kids find it hard to embrace
G
When they bus black kids from all over the place
D A
The county tried to prove their schools were all the same
D
Ol' jim crow tried to integrate
G
But in the south it's hard to relate
D A D
When grandpa used the "n" word with no shame
-chorus 2x-