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 mid 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 the fire in her eyes
and gave her a whirl.
Meet me in St Luis 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 she did but to her dismay,
when she got to the place they promised,
he was waving as they 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 ice 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 a glow, 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 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 that town somewhere
and off he went to war
and she would wait for him, how long she didn't care.
Then that glorious day when he heard the news,
it's a girl you know and she looks like you.
His eyes weld up and tears began to fall
for his first born child, would never really 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 a glow.

The depression was hard and the 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 began to show.
Withering now to a ripe old age
the sweehearts lost the fire,
but struggle on with life so hard
they worked without retire.

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

But as life and God has its plan
this odd fellow wasn't through
he beat the rap for many years
to stay with his sweethear 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 privilege 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 odd 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 buried 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.