At The Ballet

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

It 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 that 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 everything was beautiful at the ballet

Graceful men lift lovely girls in white

Yes, everything was beautiful at the ballet

I was happy... at the ballet

That's when I started ballet class

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

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

That (everyone is beautiful at the ballet.)

Every prince has got to have his swan

Yes, everyone is beautiful at the ballet. ( Hey...)

I was pretty

At the ballet

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 not..."

A few months later he left and he never came back

Anyway, I had this fantastic fantasy life

I used to dance around the living room

with my arms up like this

And in my fantasy, there was an Indian Chief

And he would say to me

"Izzy, do you wanna dance?"

And I would say, "Daddy, I would love to dance!"

(Doo-doo-doo-doo)

But it was clear

(Doo-doo-doo)

When he proposed

(Doo-doo-doo)

That I was born to help their marriage and when

(Doo-doo-doo-doo)

That's what she said

(Doo-doo-doo)

That's what he said

(Doo-doo-doo)

I used to dance around the living roo

(Doo-doo-doo-doo)

He wasn't warm

(Doo-doo-doo)

Not to her

It was an Indian chief and he'd say

"Izzy, do you wanna dance?"

And I'd say, "Daddy, I would love to..."

Everything was beautiful at the ballet

Raise your arms and someone's always there

Yes, everything was beautiful at the ballet

The ballet

The ballet

Yes everything was beautiful at the ballet. ( Hey...)

I was pretty

I was happy

"I would love to..."

At...the...ballet