Primer Coat

The old man's out by the swimming pool, he goes there to think

He talks on the phone sometimes, hardly mentions a thing

Said he needed it for his knees, he used to swim back in school

Graduated in 84, quit drinking in 92

He used to call her a basket case for hanging on like she did

The only girl of a foreman's wife She'd never let him forget

It comes to women and they survive but when the same comes to men

Someone comes for their babies something dies there and then

Slinging gravel in parking lots and looking tough on the hood

A girl as plain as a primer coat leaves nothing misunderstood

Her mother and I through trembling lips, a steady hand on his own

The future of every rebel cause, when all the fight in him is gone

My sister's marrying in the spring and everything will be fine

Mama's planning the wedding, Daddy's planning on crying

She's slipping out of her apron strings, you best leave him be

He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed