**NEWLY UPDATED VOCAL/MIX (2009)**This song was inspired by Belle Pyke, a dear friend of the family who recently passed who was like a grandmother to my sister and I when we were really little. Thanks Tom, for the incredible guitar work!
joni mitchell
Story behind the song
This song was written in memory of a woman who was just like a grandmother to me. I have so many wonderful memories, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures of us with her. It's unfortunate as well that the last few years I really hadn't been in touch with her. This song was kind of like making a picture.The name of the song comes from the fact that as a child I was fascinated with the bottles of perfume shaped like beautiful Ladies that she had on her bedroom dresser. Tom's beautiful musicianship, advice, mixing and performance have really made this song what it is. Thank you so much Tom!
Lyrics
I have learned a lot of things
since I was a little girl
learned how to tie my shoes,
say please and thank you.
Learned about this great big world.
Well, I sit here all grown up now
but tears still find a way to fall
it gets no easier,
things aren't the way they were
I still don't understand it all.
Thought that I'd have fewer questions
thought that I'd know it all by now
but I still feel like a babe sometimes
wish I could go back somehow
Chorus
But fate just stops by to wish us well
with visions of how it could be
and so we dream and plan our days
we forget things we can't see
I always wished I had said or done
something more, something real
I don't have pictures but I remember
and I always will
Strawberry lipgloss, perfume ladies
red rubber boots on the wrong feet
the memories call back another lifetime
little girls then, soft and sweet
I close my eyes and see it clearly
can almost hold it in my hands
why can't we take back so much time we've wasted
why can't we work it into the master plans.
Repeat Chorus