Evening Shade (Remastered) - Dolly Parton

My train of thought was broken

By a sudden burst of laughter

Something badly needed to brighten up the chores

Seemed old Mrs Bailey had accidentally fell

In the water being used to scrub the floors

Now Mrs Bailey was

The meanest matron at the home

She believed in lots of work with little play

And we laughed till we bent double

Though we knew we'd get in trouble

But trouble's all we had at evening shade

Now evening shade was where

They claim to teach you understanding

To teach you love and keep you off the streets

And all the kids that live

Here are said to be a problem

Juvenile delinquents so to speak

But understanding isn't learned

From punishment and anger

An iron has no gentle touch

And love ain't learned from hate

The reason we were here is

'Cause we had no one who cared

But they cared even less at evening shade

Little Susan Bradley one night had wet her bed

Mrs Bailey took the razor strap

And beat her half to death

And I knew that something

Must be done to put an end to this

And so I started talking plans with the older kids

Plans were that Joe Johnson

Would steal the kerosene

And I would get some matches when nobody seen

Beckie Adams would make sure

The kids were all outside

Billy Watson would look out for the evil eye

Now Mrs Bailey took a nap

At three o'clock each day

We knew that she'd be a'sleeping

As the plans got underway

Now that its all over and the sun is going down

There's no evening shade

'Cause we burned it to the ground