Digital Tradition Mirror

Rosie Jane

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Rosie Jane
(Malvina Reynolds)

1.  This song is addressed to my sister.
    Any man who is present may listen.
    Any priest, any public official, any physician.
    But it gives him no licence to touch us,
    We make the decision.

    Me and Lydia, Josie, Rosie and Eve.
    We handle this matter ourselves,
    You'd better believe, or you'd better leave.

Chorus
    Rosie Jane, are you pregnant again?
    Rosie Jane, you can hardly take care
    Of the four you had before
    What in heaven's name were you thinking of?
    Rosie Jane, was it love?

2.  I had an extra shot on top of what I'd got
    In a word I was drunk, so was Bill
    (At least I think it was Bill)
    And I'd forgot to take my pill.
    I guess it was God's will.

3.  When that baby is a child, it will suffer from neglect
    Be picked upon and pecked, and run over and wrecked,
    And its head will be crowned with the thorn
    But while it's inside her, it must remain intact
    And it cannot be murdered till it's born.

from The Malvina Reynolds Songbook, 1974
Copyright Shroder Music Company 1973
JB
                                                 apr96

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!