TOM WAITS lyrics - $29.00

little black girl in a red dress

on a hothight with a broken shoe

little black girl you shoulde never left home

theres probly someone thats still waitin' up for you

its cold back in chicago

but in los angles its worse

when all you got is $29.00 and an alligator purse



i see already that vulture in the fleetwood

with the startruse hood

can see you're trying to get you bearrings

and you say hey which ways the main stem

and where ever you say you're from

he'll say he grew up there himself



and he'll comeon and make you feel

like you grew up right next door to him

and you say take a left on a central

and he trows it in reverse

cause you only got $29.00 and an alligator purse



and he'll come on like a gentleman

and you'll be a little shy

you say you ex old man was a sax player

he'll say baby i used to play bass for sly

and you say you like his cadillac, say honey, i got 2 or 3

he'll say sweetheart you're sure fortunate

that you ran into me

when you've done a dime in the joint

you figure nothin' could be worse

and you got $29.00 and an alligator purse



well he got pharoh on the 8 track

you start smokin' a little boo

you thinkin' gettin' outofchicago was the

best thing that ever happend to you

startin' to like it already

this cat seems to be cool

and he says honey i know a good hotel out in west hollywood

that'd be just right for you

but he ain't know good samaritan

he'll make sure he's reimursed

lot more than $29.00 and a alligator purse



now the sirens just an epilog

the cops here always get there too late

they always stop for coffee on the way to the scene of the crime

then they always try so hard to look just like movie stars

they couldnt catch a cold

you ony wasting you dime

and she's lucky to be alive

the doctor whispered to the nurse

she only lost a 1/2 pint of blood

$29.00 and an alligator purse