At the Ballet

SHEILA

Daddy always thought that he married beneath him

That's what he said, that's what he said.

When he proposed he informed my mother

He was probably her very last chance.

And though she was twenty-two,

Though she was twenty-two,

Though she was twenty-two--

She married him.

Life with my dad wasn't ever a picnic

More like a "Come as you are."

When I was five I remember my mother

Dug earrings out of the car

I knew they weren't hers

But it wasn't something you'd wanna discuss

He wasn't warm, well, not to her ... well, not to us

But ev'rything was beautiful at the ballet.

Graceful men lift lovely girls in white.

Yes, ev'rything was beautiful at ballet,

Hey! I was happy at the ballet.

That's why I started ballet class

SHEILA and BEBE

Up a steep and very narrow stairway

To the voice like a metronome

Up a steep and very narrow stairway

It wasn't paradise, it wasn't paradise,

It wasn't paradise, but it was home.

BEBE

Mother always said I'd be very attractive

When I grew up, when I grew up

"Diff'rent," she said,

"With a special something

And a very, very personal flair."

And though I was eight or nine,

Though I was eight or nine,

Though I was eight or nine,

I hated her.

Now, "diff'rent" is nice, but it sure isn't pretty.

"Pretty" is what it's about.

I never met anyone who was "diff'rent"

Who couldn't figure that out.

So beautiful I'd never lived to see.

But it was clear, if not to her,

Well then to me!

BEBE and MAGGIE

That ev'ryone is beautiful at the ballet.

Ev'ry prince has got to have his swan.

Yes, ev'ryone is beautiful at the ballet,

Hey! I was pretty

SHEILA

At the ballet

SHEILA BEBE and MAGGIE

Up a steep and very narrow stairway

To the voice like a metronome

Up a steep and very narrow stairway

It wasn't paradise,

it wasn't paradise,

It wasn't paradise, but it was home.

MAGGIE

I don't know what they were for or against, really! Except each

other! I mean, I was born to save their marriage. But when my father

came to pick My mother up at the hospital, he said, "Well, I thought

this was going to help But I guess it's not." Anyway, I did have a

fantastic fantasy life I used to dance around the living room with

my arms up like this. My fantasy was that it was an Indian chief and

he'd say to me, "Maggie, do you wanna dance?" And I'd say,

"Daddy, I would love to dance!"

SHEILA, BEBE and MAGGIE

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo

But it was clear when he proposed

That I was born to help their marriage and when

That's what he said,

That's what she said,

I used to dance around the living room

He wasn't warm, not to her

MAGGIE

It was an Indian chief and he said

"Maggie, do you wanna dance?"

And I said, "Daddy, I would love to."

Ev'rything was beautiful at the ballet.

Raise your arms and someone's always there

Yes, ev'rything was beautiful at the ballet

At the ballet... At the ballet...

SHEILA, BEBE and MAGGIE

Yes ev'rything was beautiful at the ballet

Hey!

I was pretty

I was happy

"I would love to..."

At the ballet.