At a quarter to midnight
She stood on the bridge
With her bags and her cat
And a couple of kids
Your food's on the table
We've all gone to bed
was the note that she'd pinned on the door

In the eyes of the Lord it's considered a sin
But it's fifty times better than dealing with him
If it wasn't for these two I'd do myself in
Why he's already written me off

When she was eighteen
She was cover-girl cute
Just look at her now
You can tell she's been through it
She says give her the gun
And the courage to shoot
In the blink of an eye he'll be gone

And it's oh, oh for better or worse
Come on and lay by my side
Oh, oh for better or worse
Did he give you a hell of a ride

It all happened too fast
He was three times her size
Standing right by the bed
When she opened her eyes
She just thought of the children
And tried not to cry out
But she felt like a rat in a cage

In the heat of the moment
She wanted to fight
Only changing her mind
When he showed her the knife
The he spit in her face
And he cut her for spite
Adding insult to injury

She swore to herself
She'd get him somehow
As she turned every handle
The law would allow
Her old man said leave it
Forget him right now
She just left and forgot him instead

She said I'm just like you, babe
I take and I give
As the light through her dress
Fell like sand through a sieve
In the end who decides
what we finish up with
She said, tenderly stroking my hand