She thinks she knows you

She thinks she owns you

She wants everything to be

The way she told you

Of course she loves you

Worries about you

She'll smother you 'till you're chokin'

Tell me, don't you



Say Mama, tell me why

Has pleasure got to rhyme with sacrifice?

You had your ways

I have mine

Your little girls a woman

Don't you realize?



Of course she loves you

She adores you

She'll smother you 'till you're chokin'

Tell me, don't you?



She'll try to cage you

She'll enrage you

Walking 'round your life

Deciding for you

Sometimes she'll praise you

Sometimes she'll scorn you

Her dreams from yesterday

Could have destroyed you



Now Mama, tell me why?

Has pleasure got to rhyme with sacrifice?

You had your days

I have mine

Your little girl's a woman now ...

For quite some time