The Picture at St. Helene Jimmy Driftwood I met a girl in a cheap hotel With features oh so fine. She said, "Hello," and we sat a spell While I painted her form divine. I took away all her sins, Put a babe in her arms, you see, And I painted her as she would have been If the devil had let her be. She walked away with a cigarette And I thought is strangely odd When a gambler came and said, "I'll bet You've painted the mother of God." So I added a halo to the scene, It brought ten thousand pounds. She hangs on the wall at St. Helene In the biggest church in town. My model attracted a wealthy guy, He offered her gold for a kiss. She turned him down and I wondered why She would miss a deal like this. So I followed her to the marble hall, There I saw her stand serene Before the picture on the wall In the church at St. Helene. Compare this song with the Robert W. Service poem, "My Madonna." EH Oct00
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!