Way It All Ends

Late one night I was reading a book     alone with myself in my bed     when my daddy came peeking his head through my door     saying Let's us go playing instead     He ran a bubble bath helped me out of my clothes     fussed Don't be so camera shy     My mom and my sisters were out somewhere else     at the time I didn't know yet why     I'm supposed to learn things out the hardest way     that's what nature's choice intends     That's as much of it as I remember for now     and I forget the way it all ends     We moved around too much to pin down a house     a year at most in any one school     never learned what might make anything keep very long     what could carry was what fit our rule     I got caught in trouble once maybe twice     for various petty crimes     and also for trying to burn our place down     almost did so too many times     One can't always grow up innocent     take the one hand the other extends     That's as much of it as I remember for now     and I forget the way it all ends     By the age of fourteen I gave up pretending     so moved my ass out to the street     I confess there were days I even quit that     but I'll never admit I was beat     You learn how little it takes to get by     when you find yourself happy with less     A girl hasn't truly hit the floor hard     as long as she still can undress     That and some whiskey are all the girl needs     to get her a room full of friends     That's as much of it as I remember for now     and I forget the way it all ends     That's not what I told my doctors when asked     for some background dirt good for their files     There's really no reason to be how I am     since my childhood was sunshiny smiles     I don't know why I got put in there anyway     I never did nobody harm     and who cares if some skinny bitch puking her crack's     got some blood oozing out of each arm     I was that close to missing this song's next verse     and still might, we'll find that depends     That's as much of it as I remember for now     and I forget the way it all ends     The roomie they gave me was worse than insane     I never knew what to expect     Call it whatever you think it should be     except love (which would be most correct)     I won't go around filling the holes she left open     Maggie can do so herself     I'm just happy for what she left in my care     though she meant it for somebody else     I'm not really one with a right to complain but     love sure doesn't earn what life spends     That's as much of it as I remember for now     and I forget the way it all ends     She said from the start she was fixing to leave     every morning — I'm fixing to leave here, kid —     but then always made up excuses against     so I wasn't there when she did     though I know the way she expects to be found     I'd prefer that she find me here first     so that's why I came back and that's what I'm doing     Feel free to assume worse than worst     That's her, wasn't it? saying I might come with her     in the way her last note always bends     That's as much of it as I remember for now     and I forget the way it all ends