Daddy was hard like his callused hands.
He lived every part of the military man.
Concealing his heart, not revealing his plans,
'Til deep in the dark, we'd be packed in the van,
Moving the family again.
...

Now Mother was kind, but afraid of him so.
She threatened at times, but never would go.
With four kids under nine and one of them slow...
Her anger refined to a bedroom of "no,"
Her anger refined to "no."
...

Saturday nights Daddy gave us our baths,
And scrubbed everyone of us sore,
Naked with bubbles and giggles and laughs...
A Saturday swim nothing more...
A shampooing, water-logged chore...
So why did he start closing the door?
...

The trouble with me is I can't seem to trust.
My wounds just bleed and they won't heal up.
I don't know where I'd be if I'd never been touched,
But I know I don't like me much.
...

I was the youngest of three pretty girls,
Janine, and Constance, and they named me Pearl;
Then Dad said by accident came our brother, Earl,
A retarded, innocent light in our world,
An innocent light was ol' Earl.
...

Now Dad was ashamed of his bumbling boy,
Wanted someone to blame for his broken toy,
But Earl's countenance reigned, it could not be destroyed...
And the rest of us came to depend on his joy,
We all did depend on that boy.
...

After a while it was just Earl and me,
There in the Saturday tub.
Daddy gave smiles that Earl couldn't see.
As I frantically fished for some suds...
And pleaded to please let me scrub...
'Til he looked so alone and unloved.
...

The trouble with me I can't seem to trust.
My wounds just bleed and they won't heal up.
I don't know where I'd be if I'd never been touched,
But I know I don't like me much.
...

High school was happy most of the time,
I dated and partied and walked a fine line.
Mother would worry and Daddy would pine...
But I never was sorry for the life that was mine,
The life that was finally mine.
...

Now ol' Earl and I were as close as could be,
My love a bribe; His love was free.
He showed me a side of life we seldom see,
``You count, I'll hide... How `bout it Pearly?''
Oh Earl, you're the pearl to me.
...

One Saturday night Daddy came to my bed,
Mother had gone to Janine's.
I cursed him so angry, he finally said,
``Pearl you still belong to me!''
Then a light in the room lit up three.
``Daddy you let Pearly be!''
And Earl, good ol' Earl, threw his arms around me.
...

My folks moved again, this time the Midwest.
I stayed with some friends as a permanent guest.
Earl went with them, Mother thought it was best.
Every now and again, there'd be a letter addressed...
``To Pearly... from Early... express!''
...

Then one chilly spring as the maple trees bled,
With a boyfriend and a ring and a day picked to wed,
Heard the telephone ring,
Heard that dear Earl was dead
``He didn't feel a thing...'' somebody said.
Oh my, the tears that I shed.
...

Now some Saturday nights I run me a bath
And soak in a strange memory.
I think about Earl and I just have to laugh
God, what a pair were we...
God, he was good as could be...
God, what's the matter with me?
...

The trouble with me I can't seem to trust.
My wounds just bleed and won't heal up.
I don't know where I'd be if I'd never been touched,
But I know I don't like me much.
I know I don't like me much.