Gone To the Mill
she was an ordinary girl
with an ordinary life
she never wanted too much for herself
just to be an ordinary man’s wife
she always did real good in school
but with mom sick, she needed a job
so it’s down to the cloth mill where all the young girls
went to work with the needle and bob
singing hey hey, hey hey
another girl gone to the mill
singing hey hey, hey hey
another girl gone to the mill
soon she met her ordinary man
and they did what young lovers do
got married, and had them a girl of their own
and she thought all her dreams would come true
but he never made too much of himself
and dreams just don’t pay the bills
so even with that young girl in her arms
she had to stay on at the mill
singing hey hey, hey hey
another girl gone to the mill
singing hey hey, hey hey
another girl gone to the mill
the bosses all knew that the danger was there
but they had their orders to fill
so they ordered the girls to get back to work
and they forced them back into the mill
now, nobody knows how the fire broke out
but we all know what came next
two hundred girls together all ran
toward the one and only exit
hey hey, hey hey,
all them girls gone to the mill
hey hey, hey hey
all them girls gone to the mill
she was an ordinary girl
with an ordinary life
she never wanted too much for herself
just to be an ordinary man’s wife
singing hey hey, hey hey
another girl gone to the mill
singing hey hey, hey hey
another girl gone to the mill
Another girl gone to the mill.
Ken Zimmerman (C) 2013
I am not sure how I ran across this site, but I started to read your poetry and songs. Somewhere, stored away in a box in my attic, are the words to a song you wrote when we knew each other for a very brief time decades ago. I don’t remember the words, but I do remember I really liked them. Maybe sometime soon I will try to find that box. Anyway, I am glad I found this site. Your writing is extraordinary.
Hello Shelby– Wow. Of course I remember you, and that song. Thanks for stopping by the site, and the kind words about my words. All best wishes to you!