The Great Compromise
by John Prine 



A little girl who was almost a lady
She had a way with all men in her life
Every inch of her blossom in beauty
She was born on the Fourth of July

Well she lived in an aluminum house trailer
And she worked in a jukebox saloon
And she spent all the money, that i'd give her
Just to see the old man-in-the-moon

chorus:

I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory
And awake in the Dawn's Early Light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the Great Compromise

Well we'd go out on Saturday evenings
To a drive-in on Route 41
And it was there that I first suspected
She was doin' what she'd already done

She said, "Johnny, why don't you get me some popcorn
And she knew I had to walk pretty far
And as soon as I passed through the moonlight
She hopped into a foreign sportscar

(chorus)

Well, you know, I coulda beat up that fella
But it was her that had hopped into his car
Many times I'd fought to protect her
But this time she was going too far

Now some folks, they call me a coward
'Cause I left her at the drive-in that night
But I'd rather have names thrown at me
Than to fight for a thing that ain't right

(chorus)

Now she writes all the fellas love letters
Saying, "Greetings, come see me real soon"
And they go and line up in the ballroom
To spend the night in that sick woman's room

But sometimes I get awful lonesome
And I wish she was my girl instead
But she won't let me live with her
And she makes me live in my head

(chorus)