Fancy
Bobbie Gentry
I remember it all very well lookin' back
It was the summer I turned eighteen
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
On the outskirts of New Orleans
We didn't have money for food or rent
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Then mama spent every last penny we had
To buy me a dancin' dress
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
Then she painted my eyes and lips
And then I stepped into my satin dancin' dress
It was split on the side clean up to my hips
It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
And starin' back from the lookin' glass
Was a woman where a half grown kid had stood
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Lord forgive me for what I do (please)
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Now don't let me down
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
(Don't let me down, don't let me down)
And mama dabbed a little bit of perfume
On my neck and she kissed my cheek
And I saw the tears well up
In her troubled eyes when she started to speak
She looked at our pitiful shack
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
"Your Pa's run off, and I'm real sick
And the baby's gonna starve to death"
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
"To thine own self be true"
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
The toe of my high-healed shoe
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Askin', "mama what do I do?"
"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
And they'll be nice to you"
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, well it's up to you
Now get on out, girl, you better start movin' uptown"
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
Then I left that rickety shack
'Cause the welfare people came and took the baby
Ma died and I ain't been back
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
And for me there was no other way out
And it wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
What my mama'd been talkin' about
I did what I had to do
But I made myself this solemn vow
That I was gonna to be a lady someday
Though I didn't know when or how
I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
With my head hung down in shame
I mighta been born just plain white trash
But Fancy was my name
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
It wasn't long after a benevolent man
Took me in off of the street
And one week later I was pourin' his tea
In a five room hotel suite
Well I've charmed a king, a congressman
And an occasional aristocrat
And I got me a Georgia mansion
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
And I ain't done bad
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous
Hypocrites that would call me bad
And criticize my mama for turning me out
No matter how little we had
And though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
For nigh on fifteen years
I can still hear the desperation
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Lord forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Now don't let me down
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
And I guess she did
I remember it all very well lookin' back
Je me souviens très bien en regardant en arrière
It was the summer I turned eighteen
C'était l'été de mes dix-huit ans
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
Nous vivions dans une petite chambre délabrée
On the outskirts of New Orleans
En périphérie de la Nouvelle-Orléans
We didn't have money for food or rent
Nous n'avions pas d'argent pour la nourriture ou le loyer
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Pour dire le moins, nous étions dans le besoin
Then mama spent every last penny we had
Puis maman a dépensé chaque dernier centime que nous avions
To buy me a dancin' dress
Pour m'acheter une robe de danse
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
Maman a lavé, peigné et bouclé mes cheveux
Then she painted my eyes and lips
Puis elle a maquillé mes yeux et mes lèvres
And then I stepped into my satin dancin' dress
Et puis j'ai enfilé ma robe de danse en satin
It was split on the side clean up to my hips
Elle était fendue sur le côté jusqu'à mes hanches
It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
Elle était rouge, bordée de velours, et elle me allait bien
And starin' back from the lookin' glass
Et en regardant dans le miroir
Was a woman where a half grown kid had stood
Se tenait une femme là où une adolescente avait été
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Lord forgive me for what I do (please)
Seigneur, pardonne-moi pour ce que je fais (s'il te plaît)
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Mais si tu veux sortir, eh bien, c'est à toi de voir
Now don't let me down
Maintenant ne me déçois pas
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Ta maman va t'aider à monter en ville"
(Don't let me down, don't let me down)
(Ne me déçois pas, ne me déçois pas)
And mama dabbed a little bit of perfume
Et maman a mis un peu de parfum
On my neck and she kissed my cheek
Sur mon cou et elle a embrassé ma joue
And I saw the tears well up
Et j'ai vu les larmes monter
In her troubled eyes when she started to speak
Dans ses yeux troublés quand elle a commencé à parler
She looked at our pitiful shack
Elle a regardé notre misérable cabane
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
Puis elle m'a regardée et a pris une respiration saccadée
"Your Pa's run off, and I'm real sick
"Ton père est parti, et je suis vraiment malade
And the baby's gonna starve to death"
Et le bébé va mourir de faim"
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
Elle m'a donné un médaillon en forme de cœur qui disait
"To thine own self be true"
"Sois fidèle à toi-même"
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
Et j'ai frissonné en regardant un cafard traverser
The toe of my high-healed shoe
Le bout de ma chaussure à talons hauts
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Cela ressemblait à quelqu'un d'autre, qui parlait
Askin', "mama what do I do?"
Demandant, "maman que dois-je faire ?"
"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
"Sois gentille avec les messieurs, Fancy
And they'll be nice to you"
Et ils seront gentils avec toi"
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Lord, forgive me for what I do
Seigneur, pardonne-moi pour ce que je fais
But if you want out, well it's up to you
Mais si tu veux sortir, eh bien c'est à toi de voir
Now get on out, girl, you better start movin' uptown"
Maintenant vas-y, fille, tu ferais mieux de commencer à monter en ville"
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
Eh bien, c'était la dernière fois que je voyais ma mère
Then I left that rickety shack
Puis j'ai quitté cette cabane branlante
'Cause the welfare people came and took the baby
Parce que les gens de l'aide sociale sont venus et ont pris le bébé
Ma died and I ain't been back
Ma est morte et je ne suis pas revenue
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
Mais les roues du destin avaient commencé à tourner
And for me there was no other way out
Et pour moi il n'y avait pas d'autre issue
And it wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
Et il ne s'est pas passé longtemps avant que je sache exactement
What my mama'd been talkin' about
De quoi ma maman parlait
I did what I had to do
J'ai fait ce que je devais faire
But I made myself this solemn vow
Mais je me suis fait cette promesse solennelle
That I was gonna to be a lady someday
Que j'allais devenir une dame un jour
Though I didn't know when or how
Même si je ne savais pas quand ni comment
I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
Je ne pouvais pas envisager de passer le reste de ma vie
With my head hung down in shame
Avec la tête baissée de honte
I mighta been born just plain white trash
Je suis peut-être née comme une simple blanche pauvre
But Fancy was my name
Mais Fancy était mon nom
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas"
It wasn't long after a benevolent man
Peu de temps après, un homme bienveillant
Took me in off of the street
M'a recueillie dans la rue
And one week later I was pourin' his tea
Et une semaine plus tard, je lui servais son thé
In a five room hotel suite
Dans une suite d'hôtel de cinq pièces
Well I've charmed a king, a congressman
Eh bien, j'ai charmé un roi, un député
And an occasional aristocrat
Et un aristocrate occasionnel
And I got me a Georgia mansion
Et j'ai obtenu une maison en Géorgie
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
Et un élégant appartement à New York
And I ain't done bad
Et je ne m'en suis pas mal sortie
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous
Maintenant dans ce monde, il y a beaucoup d'hypocrites auto-justes
Hypocrites that would call me bad
Qui me traiteraient de mauvaise
And criticize my mama for turning me out
Et critiqueraient ma mère pour m'avoir mise dehors
No matter how little we had
Peu importe combien nous avions peu
And though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
Et bien que je n'aie pas eu à m'inquiéter de rien
For nigh on fifteen years
Depuis près de quinze ans
I can still hear the desperation
Je peux encore entendre le désespoir
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears
Dans la voix de ma pauvre mère résonnant dans mes oreilles
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Voici ta seule chance, Fancy, ne me déçois pas
Lord forgive me for what I do
Seigneur, pardonne-moi pour ce que je fais
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Mais si tu veux sortir, eh bien, c'est à toi de voir
Now don't let me down
Maintenant ne me déçois pas
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Ta maman va t'aider à monter en ville"
And I guess she did
Et je suppose qu'elle l'a fait
I remember it all very well lookin' back
Lembro-me muito bem olhando para trás
It was the summer I turned eighteen
Foi o verão em que fiz dezoito anos
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
Vivíamos numa cabana de um quarto, em ruínas
On the outskirts of New Orleans
Nos arredores de Nova Orleans
We didn't have money for food or rent
Não tínhamos dinheiro para comida ou aluguel
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Para dizer o mínimo, estávamos em apuros
Then mama spent every last penny we had
Então mamãe gastou cada último centavo que tínhamos
To buy me a dancin' dress
Para me comprar um vestido de dança
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
Mamãe lavou, penteou e enrolou meu cabelo
Then she painted my eyes and lips
Então ela pintou meus olhos e lábios
And then I stepped into my satin dancin' dress
E então eu entrei no meu vestido de dança de cetim
It was split on the side clean up to my hips
Estava rasgado na lateral até os meus quadris
It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
Era vermelho, com acabamento em veludo, e me servia bem
And starin' back from the lookin' glass
E olhando de volta do espelho
Was a woman where a half grown kid had stood
Estava uma mulher onde uma criança meio crescida tinha ficado
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Lord forgive me for what I do (please)
Senhor, perdoe-me pelo que eu faço (por favor)
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Mas se você quer sair, bem, isso depende de você
Now don't let me down
Agora não me decepcione
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Sua mãe vai te ajudar a se mudar para o centro da cidade"
(Don't let me down, don't let me down)
(Não me decepcione, não me decepcione)
And mama dabbed a little bit of perfume
E mamãe passou um pouco de perfume
On my neck and she kissed my cheek
No meu pescoço e beijou minha bochecha
And I saw the tears well up
E eu vi as lágrimas se acumularem
In her troubled eyes when she started to speak
Em seus olhos preocupados quando ela começou a falar
She looked at our pitiful shack
Ela olhou para nossa cabana miserável
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
E então ela olhou para mim e respirou fundo
"Your Pa's run off, and I'm real sick
"Seu pai fugiu, e eu estou muito doente
And the baby's gonna starve to death"
E o bebê vai morrer de fome"
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
Ela me entregou um medalhão em forma de coração que dizia
"To thine own self be true"
"Seja fiel a ti mesmo"
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
E eu estremeci ao ver uma barata rastejar
The toe of my high-healed shoe
Na ponta do meu sapato de salto alto
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Parecia que era outra pessoa falando
Askin', "mama what do I do?"
Perguntando, "mamãe, o que eu faço?"
"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
"Apenas seja gentil com os cavalheiros, Fancy
And they'll be nice to you"
E eles serão gentis com você"
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Lord, forgive me for what I do
Senhor, perdoe-me pelo que eu faço
But if you want out, well it's up to you
Mas se você quer sair, bem, isso depende de você
Now get on out, girl, you better start movin' uptown"
Agora saia, garota, é melhor você começar a se mudar para o centro da cidade"
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
Bem, aquela foi a última vez que vi minha mãe
Then I left that rickety shack
Então eu deixei aquela cabana desmoronando
'Cause the welfare people came and took the baby
Porque as pessoas da assistência social vieram e levaram o bebê
Ma died and I ain't been back
Mamãe morreu e eu não voltei
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
Mas as rodas do destino começaram a girar
And for me there was no other way out
E para mim não havia outra saída
And it wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
E não demorou muito até eu saber exatamente
What my mama'd been talkin' about
Do que minha mãe estava falando
I did what I had to do
Eu fiz o que tinha que fazer
But I made myself this solemn vow
Mas fiz a mim mesma este solene voto
That I was gonna to be a lady someday
Que eu ia ser uma dama algum dia
Though I didn't know when or how
Embora eu não soubesse quando ou como
I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
Eu não conseguia ver passando o resto da minha vida
With my head hung down in shame
Com a cabeça baixa de vergonha
I mighta been born just plain white trash
Eu poderia ter nascido apenas um lixo branco
But Fancy was my name
Mas Fancy era o meu nome
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione"
It wasn't long after a benevolent man
Não demorou muito depois que um homem benevolente
Took me in off of the street
Me tirou da rua
And one week later I was pourin' his tea
E uma semana depois eu estava servindo seu chá
In a five room hotel suite
Em uma suíte de hotel de cinco quartos
Well I've charmed a king, a congressman
Bem, eu encantei um rei, um congressista
And an occasional aristocrat
E um ocasional aristocrata
And I got me a Georgia mansion
E eu consegui uma mansão na Geórgia
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
E um elegante apartamento na cidade de Nova York
And I ain't done bad
E eu não me saí mal
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous
Agora neste mundo há muitos hipócritas auto-justos
Hypocrites that would call me bad
Que me chamariam de má
And criticize my mama for turning me out
E criticariam minha mãe por me expulsar
No matter how little we had
Não importa o quão pouco tínhamos
And though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
E embora eu não tenha tido que me preocupar com nada
For nigh on fifteen years
Por quase quinze anos
I can still hear the desperation
Eu ainda posso ouvir o desespero
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears
Na voz da minha pobre mãe soando em meus ouvidos
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Aqui está sua única chance, Fancy, não me decepcione
Lord forgive me for what I do
Senhor, perdoe-me pelo que eu faço
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Mas se você quer sair, bem, isso depende de você
Now don't let me down
Agora não me decepcione
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Sua mãe vai te ajudar a se mudar para o centro da cidade"
And I guess she did
E eu acho que ela fez
I remember it all very well lookin' back
Recuerdo todo muy bien al mirar atrás
It was the summer I turned eighteen
Fue el verano en que cumplí dieciocho
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
Vivíamos en una choza de una habitación, en ruinas
On the outskirts of New Orleans
En las afueras de Nueva Orleans
We didn't have money for food or rent
No teníamos dinero para comida o alquiler
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Por decir lo menos, estábamos muy apretados
Then mama spent every last penny we had
Entonces mamá gastó hasta el último centavo que teníamos
To buy me a dancin' dress
Para comprarme un vestido de baile
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
Mamá lavó, peinó y rizó mi cabello
Then she painted my eyes and lips
Luego pintó mis ojos y labios
And then I stepped into my satin dancin' dress
Y luego me metí en mi vestido de baile de satén
It was split on the side clean up to my hips
Estaba abierto por el lado hasta mis caderas
It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
Era rojo, con ribete de terciopelo, y me quedaba bien
And starin' back from the lookin' glass
Y mirando desde el espejo
Was a woman where a half grown kid had stood
Había una mujer donde antes había estado una niña medio crecida
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Lord forgive me for what I do (please)
Señor, perdóname por lo que hago (por favor)
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Pero si quieres salir, bueno, depende de ti
Now don't let me down
Ahora no me falles
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Tu mamá va a ayudarte a mudarte al centro de la ciudad"
(Don't let me down, don't let me down)
(No me falles, no me falles)
And mama dabbed a little bit of perfume
Y mamá puso un poco de perfume
On my neck and she kissed my cheek
En mi cuello y me besó la mejilla
And I saw the tears well up
Y vi las lágrimas brotar
In her troubled eyes when she started to speak
En sus ojos preocupados cuando empezó a hablar
She looked at our pitiful shack
Miró nuestra miserable choza
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
Y luego me miró a mí y tomó un respiro entrecortado
"Your Pa's run off, and I'm real sick
"Tu padre se ha ido, y estoy muy enferma
And the baby's gonna starve to death"
Y el bebé se va a morir de hambre"
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
Me entregó un medallón en forma de corazón que decía
"To thine own self be true"
"Sé fiel a ti misma"
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
Y temblé al ver una cucaracha cruzar
The toe of my high-healed shoe
La punta de mi zapato de tacón alto
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Sonaba como si fuera otra persona, estaba hablando
Askin', "mama what do I do?"
Preguntando, "mamá, ¿qué hago?"
"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
"Sólo sé amable con los caballeros, Fancy
And they'll be nice to you"
Y ellos serán amables contigo"
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Lord, forgive me for what I do
Señor, perdóname por lo que hago
But if you want out, well it's up to you
Pero si quieres salir, bueno, depende de ti
Now get on out, girl, you better start movin' uptown"
Ahora sal, chica, es mejor que empieces a moverte al centro de la ciudad"
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
Bueno, esa fue la última vez que vi a mi mamá
Then I left that rickety shack
Luego dejé esa choza tambaleante
'Cause the welfare people came and took the baby
Porque la gente del bienestar vino y se llevó al bebé
Ma died and I ain't been back
Mamá murió y no he vuelto
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
Pero las ruedas del destino habían comenzado a girar
And for me there was no other way out
Y para mí no había otra salida
And it wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
Y no pasó mucho tiempo hasta que supe exactamente
What my mama'd been talkin' about
De qué estaba hablando mi mamá
I did what I had to do
Hice lo que tenía que hacer
But I made myself this solemn vow
Pero me hice esta solemne promesa
That I was gonna to be a lady someday
Que iba a ser una dama algún día
Though I didn't know when or how
Aunque no sabía cuándo ni cómo
I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
No podía verme pasando el resto de mi vida
With my head hung down in shame
Con la cabeza gacha de vergüenza
I mighta been born just plain white trash
Puede que haya nacido como simple basura blanca
But Fancy was my name
Pero Fancy era mi nombre
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles"
It wasn't long after a benevolent man
No pasó mucho tiempo después de que un hombre benevolente
Took me in off of the street
Me recogió de la calle
And one week later I was pourin' his tea
Y una semana después estaba sirviéndole el té
In a five room hotel suite
En una suite de hotel de cinco habitaciones
Well I've charmed a king, a congressman
Bueno, he encantado a un rey, a un congresista
And an occasional aristocrat
Y a un ocasional aristócrata
And I got me a Georgia mansion
Y conseguí una mansión en Georgia
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
Y un elegante apartamento en la ciudad de Nueva York
And I ain't done bad
Y no me ha ido mal
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous
Ahora en este mundo hay un montón de hipócritas autojustificados
Hypocrites that would call me bad
Que me llamarían mala
And criticize my mama for turning me out
Y criticarían a mi mamá por echarme
No matter how little we had
No importa cuán poco teníamos
And though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
Y aunque no he tenido que preocuparme por nada
For nigh on fifteen years
Durante casi quince años
I can still hear the desperation
Todavía puedo escuchar la desesperación
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears
En la voz de mi pobre mamá resonando en mis oídos
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Aquí está tu única oportunidad, Fancy, no me falles
Lord forgive me for what I do
Señor, perdóname por lo que hago
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Pero si quieres salir, bueno, depende de ti
Now don't let me down
Ahora no me falles
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Tu mamá va a ayudarte a mudarte al centro de la ciudad"
And I guess she did
Y supongo que lo hizo
I remember it all very well lookin' back
Ich erinnere mich sehr gut daran, wenn ich zurückblicke
It was the summer I turned eighteen
Es war der Sommer, in dem ich achtzehn wurde
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
Wir lebten in einer einzimmerigen, heruntergekommenen Hütte
On the outskirts of New Orleans
Am Stadtrand von New Orleans
We didn't have money for food or rent
Wir hatten kein Geld für Essen oder Miete
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Um es gelinde zu sagen, wir waren in der Klemme
Then mama spent every last penny we had
Dann gab Mama jeden letzten Cent, den wir hatten, aus
To buy me a dancin' dress
Um mir ein Tanzkleid zu kaufen
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
Mama wusch und kämmte und lockte meine Haare
Then she painted my eyes and lips
Dann schminkte sie meine Augen und Lippen
And then I stepped into my satin dancin' dress
Und dann stieg ich in mein Satin-Tanzkleid
It was split on the side clean up to my hips
Es war an der Seite bis zu meinen Hüften aufgerissen
It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
Es war rot, mit Samt besetzt, und es passte mir gut
And starin' back from the lookin' glass
Und im Spiegel starrte eine Frau zurück
Was a woman where a half grown kid had stood
Wo ein halbwüchsiges Kind gestanden hatte
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
„Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Lord forgive me for what I do (please)
Herr, vergib mir für das, was ich tue (bitte)
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Aber wenn du raus willst, nun, das liegt an dir
Now don't let me down
Jetzt enttäusche mich nicht
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Deine Mama wird dir helfen, in die Stadt zu ziehen“
(Don't let me down, don't let me down)
(Enttäusche mich nicht, enttäusche mich nicht)
And mama dabbed a little bit of perfume
Und Mama tupfte ein bisschen Parfüm
On my neck and she kissed my cheek
Auf meinen Hals und küsste meine Wange
And I saw the tears well up
Und ich sah die Tränen in ihren besorgten Augen aufsteigen
In her troubled eyes when she started to speak
Als sie anfing zu sprechen
She looked at our pitiful shack
Sie sah unsere erbärmliche Hütte an
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
Und dann sah sie mich an und holte tief Luft
"Your Pa's run off, and I'm real sick
„Dein Vater ist abgehauen, und ich bin wirklich krank
And the baby's gonna starve to death"
Und das Baby wird verhungern“
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
Sie gab mir ein herzförmiges Medaillon, auf dem stand
"To thine own self be true"
„Sei dir selbst treu“
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
Und ich zitterte, als ich eine Kakerlake sah
The toe of my high-healed shoe
Über die Spitze meines hochhackigen Schuhs krabbeln
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Es klang, als ob jemand anderes sprach
Askin', "mama what do I do?"
Fragend, „Mama, was soll ich tun?“
"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
„Sei nett zu den Herren, Fancy
And they'll be nice to you"
Und sie werden nett zu dir sein“
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
„Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Lord, forgive me for what I do
Herr, vergib mir für das, was ich tue
But if you want out, well it's up to you
Aber wenn du raus willst, nun, das liegt an dir
Now get on out, girl, you better start movin' uptown"
Jetzt geh raus, Mädchen, du solltest besser in die Stadt ziehen“
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
Nun, das war das letzte Mal, dass ich meine Mutter sah
Then I left that rickety shack
Dann verließ ich diese wackelige Hütte
'Cause the welfare people came and took the baby
Denn die Sozialarbeiter kamen und nahmen das Baby
Ma died and I ain't been back
Mama starb und ich bin nicht zurückgekehrt
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
Aber die Räder des Schicksals hatten begonnen sich zu drehen
And for me there was no other way out
Und für mich gab es keinen anderen Ausweg
And it wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
Und es dauerte nicht lange, bis ich genau wusste
What my mama'd been talkin' about
Wovon meine Mama gesprochen hatte
I did what I had to do
Ich tat, was ich tun musste
But I made myself this solemn vow
Aber ich gab mir das feierliche Versprechen
That I was gonna to be a lady someday
Dass ich eines Tages eine Dame sein würde
Though I didn't know when or how
Obwohl ich nicht wusste wann oder wie
I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
Ich konnte nicht sehen, wie ich den Rest meines Lebens verbringen sollte
With my head hung down in shame
Mit gesenktem Kopf in Scham
I mighta been born just plain white trash
Ich könnte als einfacher weißer Müll geboren worden sein
But Fancy was my name
Aber Fancy war mein Name
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
„Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht“
It wasn't long after a benevolent man
Es dauerte nicht lange, bis ein wohlwollender Mann
Took me in off of the street
Mich von der Straße aufnahm
And one week later I was pourin' his tea
Und eine Woche später servierte ich ihm seinen Tee
In a five room hotel suite
In einer Fünf-Zimmer-Hotelsuite
Well I've charmed a king, a congressman
Nun, ich habe einen König, einen Kongressabgeordneten
And an occasional aristocrat
Und gelegentlich einen Aristokraten bezaubert
And I got me a Georgia mansion
Und ich habe mir eine Villa in Georgia besorgt
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
Und eine elegante Stadtwohnung in New York
And I ain't done bad
Und ich habe es nicht schlecht gemacht
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous
In dieser Welt gibt es viele selbstgerechte
Hypocrites that would call me bad
Heuchler, die mich schlecht nennen würden
And criticize my mama for turning me out
Und meine Mutter dafür kritisieren würden, dass sie mich rausgeworfen hat
No matter how little we had
Egal, wie wenig wir hatten
And though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
Und obwohl ich mir seit fast fünfzehn Jahren
For nigh on fifteen years
Keine Sorgen mehr machen musste
I can still hear the desperation
Kann ich immer noch die Verzweiflung hören
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears
In der Stimme meiner armen Mutter, die in meinen Ohren klingt
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
„Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Hier ist deine einzige Chance, Fancy, enttäusche mich nicht
Lord forgive me for what I do
Herr, vergib mir für das, was ich tue
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Aber wenn du raus willst, nun, das liegt an dir
Now don't let me down
Jetzt enttäusche mich nicht
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Deine Mama wird dir helfen, in die Stadt zu ziehen“
And I guess she did
Und ich denke, das hat sie getan
I remember it all very well lookin' back
Mi ricordo tutto molto bene guardando indietro
It was the summer I turned eighteen
Era l'estate in cui compii diciotto anni
We lived in a one-room, run down shack
Vivevamo in una baracca di una stanza, fatiscente
On the outskirts of New Orleans
Alla periferia di New Orleans
We didn't have money for food or rent
Non avevamo soldi per il cibo o l'affitto
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Per dire il meno eravamo in difficoltà
Then mama spent every last penny we had
Poi mamma ha speso ogni ultimo centesimo che avevamo
To buy me a dancin' dress
Per comprarmi un vestito da ballo
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
Mamma lavò e pettinò e arricciò i miei capelli
Then she painted my eyes and lips
Poi mi truccò gli occhi e le labbra
And then I stepped into my satin dancin' dress
E poi indossai il mio vestito da ballo di raso
It was split on the side clean up to my hips
Era spaccato sul lato fino ai miei fianchi
It was red, velvet-trimmed, and it fit me good
Era rosso, con bordi di velluto, e mi stava bene
And starin' back from the lookin' glass
E guardando indietro dallo specchio
Was a woman where a half grown kid had stood
C'era una donna dove prima c'era una ragazzina
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Lord forgive me for what I do (please)
Signore perdonami per quello che faccio (per favore)
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Ma se vuoi uscire, beh, sta a te
Now don't let me down
Ora non deludermi
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Tua mamma ti aiuterà a trasferirti uptown"
(Don't let me down, don't let me down)
(Non deludermi, non deludermi)
And mama dabbed a little bit of perfume
E mamma mi spruzzò un po' di profumo
On my neck and she kissed my cheek
Sul collo e mi baciò sulla guancia
And I saw the tears well up
E vidi le lacrime salire
In her troubled eyes when she started to speak
Nei suoi occhi turbati quando iniziò a parlare
She looked at our pitiful shack
Guardò la nostra misera baracca
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
E poi mi guardò e prese un respiro affannato
"Your Pa's run off, and I'm real sick
"Tuo padre se n'è andato, e io sono molto malata
And the baby's gonna starve to death"
E il bambino sta per morire di fame"
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
Mi diede un medaglione a forma di cuore che diceva
"To thine own self be true"
"Sii fedele a te stessa"
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
E rabbrividii mentre guardavo uno scarafaggio attraversare
The toe of my high-healed shoe
La punta della mia scarpa con tacco alto
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Sembra che fosse qualcun altro a parlare
Askin', "mama what do I do?"
Chiedendo, "mamma cosa devo fare?"
"Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
"Sii gentile con i signori, Fancy
And they'll be nice to you"
E loro saranno gentili con te"
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Lord, forgive me for what I do
Signore, perdonami per quello che faccio
But if you want out, well it's up to you
Ma se vuoi uscire, beh sta a te
Now get on out, girl, you better start movin' uptown"
Ora vai via, ragazza, è meglio che inizi a trasferirti uptown"
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
Beh, quella fu l'ultima volta che vidi mia mamma
Then I left that rickety shack
Poi lasciai quella baracca traballante
'Cause the welfare people came and took the baby
Perché le persone dell'assistenza sociale vennero e presero il bambino
Ma died and I ain't been back
Mamma morì e non sono più tornata
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
Ma le ruote del destino avevano iniziato a girare
And for me there was no other way out
E per me non c'era altra via d'uscita
And it wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
E non passò molto tempo prima che capissi esattamente
What my mama'd been talkin' about
Di cosa stava parlando mia mamma
I did what I had to do
Ho fatto quello che dovevo fare
But I made myself this solemn vow
Ma mi sono fatta questa solenne promessa
That I was gonna to be a lady someday
Che sarei diventata una signora un giorno
Though I didn't know when or how
Anche se non sapevo quando o come
I couldn't see spendin' the rest of my life
Non potevo vedere di passare il resto della mia vita
With my head hung down in shame
Con la testa abbassata per la vergogna
I mighta been born just plain white trash
Potrei essere nata semplice spazzatura bianca
But Fancy was my name
Ma Fancy era il mio nome
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi"
It wasn't long after a benevolent man
Non passò molto tempo dopo che un uomo benevolo
Took me in off of the street
Mi prese dalla strada
And one week later I was pourin' his tea
E una settimana dopo gli stavo versando il tè
In a five room hotel suite
In una suite di un hotel a cinque stanze
Well I've charmed a king, a congressman
Beh, ho incantato un re, un congressista
And an occasional aristocrat
E un occasionale aristocratico
And I got me a Georgia mansion
E ho ottenuto una villa in Georgia
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
E un elegante appartamento a New York
And I ain't done bad
E non mi è andata male
Now in this world there's a lot of self-righteous
Ora in questo mondo c'è un sacco di ipocriti
Hypocrites that would call me bad
Che mi chiamerebbero cattiva
And criticize my mama for turning me out
E criticano mia mamma per avermi mandata via
No matter how little we had
Non importa quanto poco avevamo
And though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
E anche se non ho dovuto preoccuparmi di nulla
For nigh on fifteen years
Per quasi quindici anni
I can still hear the desperation
Posso ancora sentire la disperazione
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears
Nella voce di mia povera mamma che risuona nelle mie orecchie
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
"Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Ecco la tua unica occasione, Fancy, non deludermi
Lord forgive me for what I do
Signore perdonami per quello che faccio
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Ma se vuoi uscire, beh, sta a te
Now don't let me down
Ora non deludermi
Your mama's gonna help you move uptown"
Tua mamma ti aiuterà a trasferirti uptown"
And I guess she did
E immagino che l'abbia fatto