She Made Herself A Promise     Jerry Jeff Walker

(G) As a teenage girl in Texas, raised on (Cj7)dust and weeds and cactus,
She (Am7)first saw pictures o(D7)f the river (G)Seine.
From her window late at night she'd pre(Cj7)tend the stars were lights
Of the (Am7)cafés in the (D7)St-Germain-des-(G)Prés.

And she (Cj7)longed to see the world and con(Bm)verse with other girls,
As they (Am7)laughed and talked and walked a(D7)long the boule(G)vard.
To float to (Cj7)Paris and the lights in a (Bm)taxi late at night,
Seems like a (Am7)leap of faith to ma(D7)ke from this old (G)farm.
But she (Cj7)made herself a promise that (Bm)someday she'd celebrate
Her (Am7)birthday in the (D7)St.-Germain-des-(G)Prés.

After college she got married, she worked in (Cj7)theatre and had some babies,
Her (Am7)life took on di(D7)rections of its (G)own.
She became a working mother, she (Cj7)lived her life for others,
For her (Am7)husband, for the (D7)children and her ho(G)me.

Then (Cj7)one day her grown daughter said that (Bm)she was off to Europe, and
(Am7) Have you ever (D7)thought about it (G)Mom?
She said, ''Of (Cj7)course I used to, honey, a (Bm)lot when I was your age,
But I (Am7)hadn't thought about it (D7)much until right no(G)w.''
She re(Cj7)membered the promise that (Bm)someday she'd celebrate
Her (Am7)birthday in the (D7)St.-Germain-des-(G)Prés.      
(C) (Cj7) (Am) (D7)   (G)        (C) (Cj7) (Am) (D7)    (G)

She sees how quickly life can pass by, how (Cj7)easily a dream dies,
You (Am7)can't just live your li(D7)fe for someone (G)else.
So she boards the plane to Paris, she (Cj7)thinks she'll need a new dress,
As she (Am7)keeps that birthday (D7)promise to her(G)self.

Oh, she (Cj7)thought she'd do it sooner, it (Bm)seems so important to her,
But (Am7)life moves on when (D7)you're off making (G)plans.
But every (Cj7)now and then it happens, a chance ap(Bm)pears for you to grab it,
That's (Am7)why this time she just (D7)couldn't let it pa(G)ss.
'Cause she (Cj7)made herself a promise that (Bm)someday she'd celebrate
Her (Am7)birthday in the (D7)St- Germain-des-(G)Prés,
And (Am7)later take a (D7)walk beside the (G)Seine...
(Am7)    (D7)    (G)        (Am7)    (D7)    (G)            (Am7)    (D7)    (G)

© Jerry Jeff Walker, All Rights Reserved

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www,janhauenstein.com