MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, WIVES
Words and music by Judy Small
As recorded by Judy Small on "Ladies and Gems" (1984)

CHORUS: The first time it was fathers; the last time it was sons,
And in between your husbands marched away with guns and drums,
And you never thought to question; you just went on with your lives,
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives.

You can only just remember, the tears your mothers shed
As the sat and read their papers through the lists and lists of dead,
And the gold frames held the photographs that mothers kissed each night,
And the doorframes held the shocked and silent strangers from the fight. CHORUS

And it was 21 years later with children of your own
The trumpet sounded once again and the soldier boys were gone
And you drove their trucks and made their guns and tended to their wounds
And at night you kissed their photographs and prayed for safe returns.

And after it was over, you had to learn again
To be just wives and mothers when you'd done the work of men
So you worked to help the needy and you never trod on toes
And the photos on the pianos struck a happy family pose. CHORUS

And then your daughters grew to women and your little boys to men
And you prayed that you were dreaming when the call-up came again
But you proudly smiled and held your tears as they bravely waved goodbye
And the photos on the mantelpieces always made you cry.

And now you're getting older and in time the photos fade
And in widowhood you sit back and reflect on the parade
Of the passing of your memories as your daughters change their lives
Seeing more to our existence than just mothers, daughters, wives. CHORUS

And you believed them.

Printed in Rise Up Singing
Recorded by Judy Small, Priscilla Herdman, and Ronnie Gilbert.

rich r

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Added to the Digital Tradition October 1999.