Long ago and in a time we knew
when men were men and troubles were few.
Troubles were still troubles but far from so many
as country to country all for the plenty.

There lived an odd fellow who charmed the best
he figured and wagered and traded, from the east to the west.
Little did he know, there would come a girl,
dressed in plain clothing, a smile and a curl.
She swore to herself this is the one,
you will see,
he will be mine forever,
as a mighty oak tree.

As time would have it, he had no choice
uncle Sam called and spoke in that voice.
The one that said, we want only you
no matter your plans, we think you will do.
So the odd fellow turned and looked at the girl,
saw fire in her eyes and gave her a whirl.
Meet me in Saint Louis, we will be there by morn,
so she packed up her bag, excited and forlorn,
telling her mother, stop me if you can,
to the ends of the earth I will follow that man.

So follow shd did but to her dismay,
when she arrived where they promised
he waved to her as the truck drove away.
He yelled to the girl with the smile and the curl,
meet me in Tulsa its on the way.
So lost and alone and withered to the bone,
she heard those words until that very day.

Her voice was nervous as she spoke from her heart
Please someone help me so my life can start.
The driver of the bus said hurry this way,
we are leaving right now, so don't delay.
But when she arrived, to her dismay,
out of town went that man the other way.

Tears were glistening on her frozen cheeks
as she waited for word, for what seemed like weeks.
Then out of the blue came a message from a love so true
saying meet me in Oklahoma so I can marry you.

Her heart all aglow and her pockets unsheathed
there was nothing left but her belief.
So with all the pride she could find
she told every stranger about her bind.
until finally came a man with a great big heart,
we have room in the back, under the tarp.
Wrapped in a tarp and covered in snow,
the girl with the curl stayed warm from the glow,
of a beating heart for the only man
she would ever love, and take his hand.

They were married that day in a town somewhere
then off he went to war
she would wait for him, how long she didn't care.
Then that glorious day  when he heard the news
its a girl you know, and she looks like you.
His eyes weld up and tears did fall
for his first child would never truly know him at all.

When he came home and found his heart fresh
still beating true inside his breast,
for the only sweetheart he would ever know
the girl with the curl and her heart all aglow.

The depression was hard and times went fast
children grew up and things didn't last
but the girl with the curl was still by his side
no matter how broke or hard the ride,
until the day her hair turned grey
and his tired body began to slow
the years of strife and hard hard work,
dull aches and pains begin to show.
Withering now to a ripe old age
the sweethearts lost the fire
but struggle on with life so hard
they worked without retire.

Until the day the real trouble came
when life has delt your hand,
and all your dreams are layed out cold
burried deep beneath the sand.
The doctors said it would take a year
for the life to drift away,
and so he sat beside a tree
and cried like a baby on that day.

But as life and God has its plans
this odd fellow wasn't thruough,
he beat the rap for many years
to stay with his sweetheart true .

On mothers day in the autum of life
his sweetheart went away,
 beyond the clouds to live with love
 forever and a day.
She was his sweetheart and a mother true of heart,
thats what we always say,
its quite a privledge to go beyond the clouds
on this very important day.

This different sort of fellow, still charming and aluff,
can give the best advice from the snow upon the roof.
He always talks of times ago, when her heart was by his side
and songs that I remember when we took our sunday ride, 
they were different as the fellow and odds as they can be
but they paved the way to make me
the person I want to be.

The illness came back in greater strength
many years had past
until he went to find his heart
and be whole again at last.
We burried him on Valentines day
and some would say thats bad,
but its in honor of the girl with the curl,
the only sweetheart he ever had.