puppet masters and mistresses
speaking of poets - bobby braddock and harlan howard wrote this:
you say that you’re born again / cleansed of your former sins / you want me to say I forgive and forget / but you meant too much to me / don’t you be touchin’ me / why don’t you go touch all those women you’ve met
god may forgive you but i won’t / yes jesus loves you but i don’t / they don’t have to live with you - neither do i / you say that you’re born again - well so am i / god may forgive you but i won’t - i won’t even try
the kids used to cry for you / i had to try to do / the things that a dad should do / since you’ve been gone / you really let us down / you may be heaven bound / but you left one hell of a mess here at home
god may forgive you but i won’t/yes jesus loves you but i don’t / they don’t have to live with you - neither do i / you say that you’re born again - well so am i / god may forgive you but i won’t - i won’t even try
rosie flores recorded this song in 1987. what’s funny is that it doesn’t sound natural for her. the hurt in her voice is deeper and more loving than the words on the page. braddock and howard made the woman in the song unforgiving. rosie sang the meanness begrudgingly, like it she was making a hostage tape. the result remains one of the best songs i’ve ever heard by anyone.
