Mary Lou from Garden City, Kansas
Her mother said: one day she'd be a star
And everyone in Garden City, Kansas
They all agreed that she'd go very far
Dancing lessons every morning, singing lessons in the afternoon
And Broadway was just around the corner
Now, Mary Lou has finally made it to Broadway
But she's never gonna see her name in lights
And there ain't no one can save her
From the fate that Broadway gave her:
Taking money for her favours every night
Mary Lou left Garden City, Kansas
All set to take her chances on her own
She'd been the queen and all the local dancers
Had looked at all the talent shows she won
But every road she took led down a dead-end street
And she had to find some other way to make ends meet
Now, Mary Lou has finally made it to Broadway
But she's never gonna see her name in lights
And there ain't no one can save her
From the fate that Broadway gave her:
Taking money for her favours every night
She was twenty-one and such a lovely lady
The morning that she stepped down from the train
Now she's pushing thirty-five and got a baby
And she spends her evenings walking in the rain
And she can't go back to Garden City, Kansas
'Cause she's not the little girl she used to be
And her mother is gone from Garden City, Kansas
She said the weather and her health did not agree
So every lonely evening, she'll kiss her little girl goodnight
And walk onto her stage under the corner light
Now, Mary Lou has finally made it to Broadway
But she's never gonna see her name in lights
And there ain't no one can save her
From the fate that Broadway gave her
Taking money for her favours every night
