Priscilla

Priscilla

she'd come to my house
and dance in the hall
with the music up loud
against the light on the wall

I danced beside her
feeling no shame
we were in costume
and this was a game

she'd put on her skirt
of layers of chiffon
the top of the umbrella had come off
so I put that on

we'd dance together then
an awkward ballet
she was 20 years older than I was
but still we did play

She was 20 years older than me
and many times my size
but it's her little feet I remember
and the look in her eyes

once when I saw her
she made me a doll
of ribbon and paper and ink
and lace, I recall

I danced beside her
feeling no shame
we were in costume
and this was a game

I think of her now I'm older
I still love to dance
something will shine through the body
if you give it a chance

Lyrics :	Suzanne Vega
Copyright :	© 2001 Waifersongs Ltd. & WB Music Corp.
Album :	Songs In Red And Gray
"Songs In Red And Gray" - tracklist : Penitent Widow's Walk (I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May It Makes Me Wonder Soap And Water Song In Red And Gray Last Year's Troubles Priscilla If A Were A Weapon Harbor Song Machine Ballerina Solitaire St.Claire Golden* * Available on the Japanese Release only

Notes:

"It's a little story about myself as a small girl, and about a very large woman who used to come to my house, and dance in the hallway, and I used to dance also. It must have looked like a very strange thing, to have this woman come to my house, a big, big woman, and she would put on her ballet outfit, and I would put on mine, very unsubconsciously, it only seems strange to me now, looking back on it. But this is a song about your body, and about how if you give your body a chance it will do great things."
In concert: Teatro Orfeo, Milan, Italy, March 4, 2002

"It's a simple song, about someone who, despite her old age and not being very beautiful, is happy."
Interview with Fernando Magalhães, Público, October 19, 2001 (translated from Portuguese)