Ian Matthews

For Better Or Worse

Ian Matthews


At a quarter to midnight 
She stood on the bridge 
With her bags and her cat 
And a couple of kids 
Your food's on the table 
We've all gone to bed 
was the note that she'd pinned on the door 

In the eyes of the Lord it's considered a sin 
But it's fifty times better than dealing with him 
If it wasn't for these two I'd do myself in 
Why he's already written me off 

When she was eighteen 
She was cover-girl cute 
Just look at her now 
You can tell she's been through it 
She says give her the gun 
And the courage to shoot 
In the blink of an eye he'll be gone 

And it's oh, oh for better or worse 
Come on and lay by my side 
Oh, oh for better or worse 
Did he give you a hell of a ride 

It all happened too fast 
He was three times her size 
Standing right by the bed 
When she opened her eyes 
She just thought of the children 
And tried not to cry out 
But she felt like a rat in a cage 

In the heat of the moment 
She wanted to fight 
Only changing her mind 
When he showed her the knife 
The he spit in her face 
And he cut her for spite 
Adding insult to injury 

She swore to herself 
She'd get him somehow 
As she turned every handle 
The law would allow 
Her old man said leave it 
Forget him right now 
She just left and forgot him instead 

She said I'm just like you, babe 
I take and I give 
As the light through her dress 
Fell like sand through a sieve 
In the end who decides 
what we finish up with 
She said, tenderly stroking my hand