A Gamble Either Way

Being born was the worst and the
First mistake I ever made
The doctor didn't spank me
He just slapped me in the face
And the cup of love was
Always quenching someone else's thirst
Leaving me to swallow the
Bitter taste of hurt
Because I was raised an orphan
Never wanted as a kid
Until the year I turned 13
Then everybody did
Strangers pass me back and forth
Men just took me as they pleased
And others had a Cinderella slave to
Cook and clean and weave

Though the deck is stacked against you
Win or lose, you have to play
The hand that life has dealt you
And it's a gamble either way

On a dusty road at 15
In a yellow cotton dress
With the desert sun like an angry
Dragon breathing down my neck
And the dry cracked plains would make
Me think of a prehistoric time
Should I fear what lay before me
Less than what I'd left behind?
A 15-year old girl don't have
No trouble hitching rides
But sometimes when you're riding free
You'll pay the highest price
On back roads and in back seats
And in cheap highway motels
But what's a few more strangers in
A life of nothing else?

Though the deck is stacked against you
Win or lose, you have to play
The hand that life has dealt you
And it's a gamble either way

Sixteen, caught me crying
Underneath the scarlet lights
On the doorsteps of a stranger on
A cold and rainy night
When I walked into the parlor here
All the pieces seemed to fit
I was good at pleasing strangers
So I made the most of it
Either way it's all a gamble
So view the stakes and know the odds
And lay your cards upon the table
Do all the dealing from the top

Though the deck is stacked against you
Win or lose, you have to play
The hand that life has dealt you
And it's a gamble either way