Darrell Scott

The Ballad Of Martha White

Darrell Scott


THE BALLAD OF MARTHA WHITE

I'm southern born and corn bred 
My folks are just the same 
I got my southern heritage 
I got my papaw's name 
I fell in love with a little girl when I was six years old 
She had the name of Martha White and she had her own radio show 

You see, Martha had a brand of flour, for biscuits, cakes and pies 
She had Shirley Temple golden curly hair and southern, baby blue eyes 
And on Saturday nights with my guitar, I'd sit and play along 
I knew every word and every note to that Martha White hour theme song 

Well my folks took a vacation down to Nashville, Tennessee 
Bought me a Goo Goo Cluster and a front row seat to the Grand Ol' Opry 
And there before my childish eyes was that high and lonesome sound 
But nowhere on that Opry stage was Martha to be found 
Well I finally found my Martha out in the Opry stars' parking lot 
She was cooling off them up and coming boys 
You see they were Billboard hot and they were drinking something out of a brown paper bag 
I knew I'd lost my Martha the only love I'd ever had 

Oh, they're all better looking than the ones who went before 
Same old hat, same old voice 
Can they give us nothing more? 
They're all smiling for the cameras, walking softly, talking loud 
Martha, she still makes those biscuits greasy, fluffy and proud 
You got your French croissant and all that Italian pastry-chef voodoo 
You just pop one of them suckers in your mouth, slivate and chew 
But what you won't find on the shelves of the finer kitchens of the world 
Is the face of our self-promoting, self-perpetuating, self-rising flour girl 

You only get it in the southland 
That's where demographics best 
It's the brand that Mom and Daddy bought | They won't give the girl a rest 
And it's the same as it ever was from fifty years ago 
She ain't mortal like you and me 
Martha White will never grow old 

They're all better looking than the ones who went before 
Same old hat, same old voice 
Can they give us nothing more? 
They're all smiling for the cameras, walking softly, talking loud 
Martha, she still makes those biscuits greasy, fluffy and proud 
For the finest biscuits ever was get Martha White self-rising flour 
The one all purpose flour 
Martha White self-rising flour with the hot rize plus