<< Song List
Ballad of the Blemished Beauty Stone
Out Of The Woodwork II
© 1973 by Gary E. Andrews
All Right Reserved for the Globe

Chords:
D XXO232
Dmaj7 XXO222
D7 XXO212
G 32OOO3
C X32O1O

(Verse I)
Born in North Dakota, Ancien ran away from home,
Saved his sister Alice from a life lived all alone,
Bought her cherry ice cream,
And a Blemished Beauty Stone.
Fathered by a tailor, Whose only friend was drink,
They hid the Greyhound bus fare, Beneath the kitchen sink,
Rose up early Friday, Pretense of going to school.

(Chorus)
They ran away to Abilene.
They ran away from everything,
That had been, oh-oh.
It's so sad then, oh-oh.
They never found a home.

(VII)
Workin' for the street fair, Ancien worked without his pay,
Rose up early Friday. It was his payment day.
Went down to the fairground. The 'fair' had gone away.
Now Ancien was a grown man, Yes, and grown men do not cry.
So instead of tears an angry leer filled Ancien's eyes.
He robbed a filling station, and he nearly got away.

(Chorus)
He ran away to Abilene.
He ran away from everything,
That had been, oh-oh.
It's so sad then, oh-oh.
He never found a home.

(VIII)
Alice learned to dress herself up like a beauty queen.
She always had another smile. She had just turned sixteen.
They took her in a wheat field.
Their hands were cold and mean.
She sold herself in barrooms and in hotels she called home,
And ran into a needle. The only thing she owned,
Was memories of ice cream,
And a Blemished Beauty Stone.

(Chorus)
She ran away to Abilene.
She ran away from everything,
That had been, oh-oh.
It's so sad then, oh-oh.
She never found a home.

(Coda)
Born in North Dakota, Ancien ran away from home,
Saved his sister Alice from a life lived all alone,
Bought her cherry ice cream, And a Blemished Beauty Stone.

---

More Info...
"Ballad of the Blemished Beauty Stone" Copyright 1973 by Gary E. Andrews
All Rights Reserved For The Globe

I was playing this in Arizona in 1973, and regretting the tragic story it had to tell. I think it could make a good short story, the journalist taking notes as the cops investigate, and him ending up rescuing Alice in the end, for my sake.

Singer/Songwriter stuff.