deborah conway
a long time ago when my mother’s hands were all my world
she taught me everything there was
to know about holding and being held
like a grain of sand in on oyster shell
the seed of knowledge grows
the small thing becomes a pearl
at the tender age when everything is unfamiliar
i can remember all the rough play princess and the wild crusader
never too shy for a mission of discovery
i learnt about the well of my curiosity
some wear their heart on their sleeve
some wear the patience of saints
some wear the weight of the world on their shoulders
i just wear my string of pearls
my string of pearls
the first time that i really fell in love
i gave half my heart away and taking care of half of his
proved we were old enough
all of those teenage radio songs
about romance that lasts forever
well i found out they’d got it wrong
waiting for gurus or gypsies or gods
under these burning clouds
searching for comfort above
when i joined a band to be a rock 'n' roll star
i tasted how sweet it was to be the girl that everybody wanted
playing in their bar
spotlights shine on me
'cos when the party s over
you’re just a waste of electricity
i got a life i guess it suits me pretty well
i gotta crawl down narrow alleyways
to heaven or stroll boulevards to hell
bead by bead of wisdom and poetry
at the blind paths and avenues
dimly lit by my rosary
some wear a crown of thorns
some wear out their welcome
but somewhere over the rainbow
i will wear my string of pearls
my string of pearls
i will wear my string of pearls