Mennonite

— Sam Baker

He was a Mennonite, came from Mexico,
Went to work for his uncle out in Weslaco.
He built trailers, hell, he could build anything,
Out of metal and fix any machine.

Well, praise be to Jesus and glory in accord,
But when you're twenty one years old you get kind of bored,
Staying home every night, worshiping the Lord.

He bought a pearl-snap shirt stitched with horses and stars,
A handsome pair of boots, starting driving past bars,
The girls wore short skirts, they made out in cars,
They drank beer by the quart out of mason jars,
They drank beer, in the county line bars.

Well Marco Polo, Marco Polo, he went out to explore,
Christopher Columbus went to find new shore,
A young Mennonite walks through a barroom door.

It said 'I heart to dance' on a tight t-shirt,
That was tucked in the waist of a short short skirt.
She was standing at the bar holding court, push up bra for extra support
The boys fell like pigeons, they fell like leaves, strong pale legs,
Red boots to her knees,
Red boots to her knees.

Who's to say what love is?
Is it horses and stars?
Is it boots and beer,
In the backseat of cars?
On the floorboard there's a short short skirt,
It's wrapped in the arms of a pearl snapped shirt.

Well it's been five years, it never was hard,
He never much thought more about the Lord.
And she just quit, quit going to bars,
They got married had kids, and it never was hard.

Who's to say what love is?
Is it horses and stars?
Is it boots and beer
The backseat of cars?

On the floorboard there's a short short skirt
It's wrapped in the arms
Of a pearl… snapped… shirt