She's Leaving Home - Richie Havens

Wednesday morning at five o’clock

As the day begins

Silently closing her bedroom door

Leaving the note that she hoped would say more

She goes downstairs to the kitchen

Clutching her handkerchief

Quietly turning the back door key

Stepping outside she is free

She (We gave her most of our lives)

Is leaving (Sacrificed most of our lives)

Home (We gave her everything money could buy)

She’s leaving home after living alone (Bye bye)

For so many years

Father snores as his wife gets into her dressing gown

Picks up the letter that’s lying there

Standing alone at the top of the stairs

She breaks down and cries to her husband

«Daddy, our baby’s gone»

Why would she treat us so thoughtlessly?

How could she do this to me?

She (We never thought of ourselves)

Is leaving (Never a thought for ourselves)

Home (We struggled hard all our lives to get by)

She’s leaving home after living alone (Bye bye)

For so many years

Friday morning at nine o’clock

She is far away

Waiting to keep the appointment she made

Meeting a man from the motor trade

She (What did we do that was wrong?)

Is having (We didn’t know it was wrong)

Fun (Fun is the one thing that money can’t buy)

Something inside that was always denied (Bye bye)

For so many years

She’s leaving home

Bye bye