Let's drink to Isabella
In a room full of repairs
Covering the bruises and scratches
From the wild and restless years
By the time those glasses reach our lips
She'll be wondering why we're here
Confusion works through her mind
Like the light shines through her hair"I'm beautiful and wonderful" she says
In a fragile voice well aged
"I've lived and learned every word
On ever worn out page
I was once the one you worried about
I was once the girl you craved
Now I'm standing here all by myself
And I don't need to be saved.Life's long dirty road loved me
And broke this heart in two
I smiled and frowned up and down the town
And hurt my eyes with truth
I found the places where you meet
People who never leave too soon
They wait 'til you're weak, sick
And you sleep in their cold, cold roomI was young when I left home
I wrestled with the winds
I panicked in the nighttime glare
And preyed I'd find a friend
Someone to take me out of this life
Out of these puddles of rain
I trusted anyone in any old slum
Who remembered my nameAnd I fell for a cold hearted stranger
In May of '59
He pounded on my frail emotions
Oh, he battered up my mind
But I left him stronger than before
In a pale blue summer dress
And a coat for the cold summer nights
With a "born and die Canadian" crestI begged for a few whole dollars
Just to get me on a Northland bus
And I traveled as long as I could
Through the greens and rocky rust
And I fell asleep for a long long time
Just hoping for something else
I'd rather be a bum than a slave
In some rich man's rattling houseI lived from couch to couch
Floor to covered porch
I built my life back up
I knew what I was looking for
Some peace and quiet you get from living a certain way
Not saying much, giving just enough
Taking it day by day"Happy birthday, Isabella
My sister of the west
I never meant to criticize you
Just to give you all my best
I know you're happy, I know you're free
Midnight still gives you its glare
I can learn from your twists and turns
I'll tell you when I'm getting there