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Artist: Reba McEntire
Track: Fancy

Lyrics
Well, I remember it all very well, lookin' back
It was the summer I turned eighteen
We lived in a one room, rundown shack
On the outskirts of New Orleans
We didn't have money for food or rent
To say the least, we were hard pressed
Then Mama spent every last penny we had
To buy me a dancin' dress

My mama washed and combed and curled my hair
And then she painted my eyes and lips (lips), then I stepped into a satin
Dancin' dress that had a split from the side clean up to my hip
It was red velvet trim and it fit me good
Standin' back from the lookin' glass
There stood a woman where a half gown kid had stood

She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"

Mama dabbed a little bit of perfume on my neck
Then she kissed my cheek
And then I saw the tears wellin' up in her troubled eyes
As she started to speak
She looked at our pitiful shack
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
She said, "Your pa's runned off and I'm real sick
And the baby's gonna starve to death"

She handed me a heart shaped locket that said
"To thine own self be true"
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
The toe of my high heel shoe
It sounded like somebody else, it was talkin'
Askin', "Mama, what do I do?"
She said, "Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
They'll be nice to you"

She said, "Here's your one-chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Now don't let me down now
Your mama's gonna move you uptown"

Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
The night I left that rickety shack
The welfare people came and took the baby
Mama died and I ain't been back

But the wheels of fate had started to turn
And for me there was no way out
It wasn't very long 'til I knew exactly
What my mama been talkin' about

I knew what I had to do when I made myself this solemn vow
That I's gonna be a lady someday
Though I don't know when or how
But I couldn't see spending the rest of my life
With my head hung down in shame
You know I might have been born just plain white trash
But Fancy was my name

She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"
She said, "Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down"

It wasn't long after a benevolent man
Took me in off the streets
One week later, I was pourin' his tea
In a five room hotel suite (yes she was)

I charmed a king, a congressman
And an occasional aristocrat
And then I got me a Georgia mansion
And an elegant New York townhouse flat
And I ain't done bad (she ain't done bad)

Now in this world, there's a lot of self-righteous hypocrites
That'd call me bad
And criticize mama for turning me out
No matter how little we had

But though I ain't had to worry 'bout nothin'
For nigh on fifteen years
Well, I can still hear the desperation
In my poor mama's voice ringin' in my ears

"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Oh, here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, well, it's up to you
Now don't let me down hun
Your mama's gonna move you uptown"

Oh and I guess she did
Full Lyrics and Meaning
SongMeanings Interpretations
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SongFacts
Fancy by Reba McEntire - Songfacts
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Genius Meanings
Reba McEntire – Fancy
“Fancy”, Reba McEntire’s southern gothic style hit, is a cover of Bobbie Gentry’s 1969 hit, released as a single in 1991. The story line of the song follows a woman named Fancy
Orville Peck – Fancy
“Fancy” is a cover of the 1969 Bobbie Gentry original which was made famous by Reba McEntire’s 1990 cover. However, in his version, Orville notably changes the word “kid” at the
Reba McEntire – Fancy (Dave Audé Remix)
[Intro] / She said—, Fancy was my name / She said—, Fancy was my name / She said—, Fancy was my name / She said—, Fancy was my name / [Verse 1] / I remember it all very well
Reba McEntire – Fancy (Revisited)
[Verse 1] / I remember it all very well looking back / It was the summer I turned eighteen / We lived in a one-room, rundown shack / On the outskirts of New Orleans / We didn't
Reba McEntire – Seven Minutes in Heaven
[Verse 1] / I wouldn't ask Cash why he wore all-black / Or have Elvis sing me a song / I wouldn't ask why Kennedy died / 'Cause I know that I wouldn't have long / I wouldn't small
Fancy – Fancy
Artist: Reba Mcentire / Album: Rumor Has It / Title: Fancy / (bobbie gentry) / I remember it all very well lookin' back / It was the summer I turned eighteen / We lived in a one
Reba McEntire – The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (Revived)
He was on his way home from Candletop / Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop / At Web's and have him a drink 'fore he went home to her / Andy Wo-Lo said hello, he said, "Hi
Reba McEntire (Ft. Linda Davis) – Does He Love You
[Verse] / I've known about you for a while now / When he leaves me he wears a smile now / As soon as he's away from me / In your arms is where he wants to be / But you're the one
Bobbie Gentry – Fancy
[Verse 1] / I remember it all very well lookin' back / It was the summer that I turned 18 / We lived in a one-room, run down shack / On the outskirts of New Orleans / [Verse 2
Carrie Underwood – Church Bells
“Church Bells” is the fourth single from Carrie Underwood’s fifth studio album Storyteller. It was released to country radio on April 3, 2016. The song is about a young woman who
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“I’m a Survivor” is the song released as the lead single off of Reba’s third greatest hits album in 2001. The song was also turned into the theme song of Reba’s eponymous sit-com
The Lacs (Ft. Hard Target (Group)) – Free Birds
[Chorus] / When we was ridin' down the road with the wind in our hair / She was singin' Lynyrd Skynyrd like ain't nobody there / She sang "and this bird you can not change" / [
Reba McEntire – Rumor Has It
[Verse 1] / I overheard a conversation, your name was mentioned in / But they didn't talk about us, only her again / I didn't want to listen, but I hung on every word / They said
Reba McEntire – You Lie
“You Lie,” a song first cut by Cee Cee Chapman was Reba’s fourteenth number one country hit, and spent a total of twenty weeks on the country charts. This song is from the point of
Rolling Stone – 100 Greatest Country Songs Of All Time
Taken from the June 2014 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine
Reba McEntire (Ft. Vince Gill) – The Heart Won't Lie
[Verse 1: Reba McEntire] / Looking back over the years / Of all the things I've always meant to say / But the words didn't come easily / So many times through empty fears / Of all
Reba McEntire (Ft. Dolly Parton) – Does He Love You (Revisited)
I've known about you for a while now / When he leaves me he wears a smile now / As soon as he's away from me / In your arms is where he wants to be / But you're the one he rushes
Reba McEntire – That's All She Wrote
[Verse 1] / Well, it looks like you're alone again / I heard about your misery / She took you around the bend / And now you're coming back to me / [Chorus] / That's all she wrote
Reba McEntire – Walk On
[Verse 1] / Oh, isn't life wonderful / When everything is right / But sometimes wonderful / Can fall apart sometimes / When your troubles knock you down / Pick yourself up off the
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SongTell Meaning
Meaning of "Fancy (Live at The Ryman Auditorium, 2020)" by Reba McEntire
The song "Fancy (Live at The Ryman Auditorium, 2020)" by Reba McEntire tells a story of a young woman named Fancy who overcomes poverty and hardship to imp...
Meaning of "Fancy" by Reba McEntire
The song "Fancy" tells the story of a young woman's journey from poverty to success. It follows her from living in a rundown shack on the outskirts of New ...
Meaning of "Ladies in the 90s" by Lauren Alaina
The song "Ladies in the 90s" by Lauren Alaina is a nostalgic anthem that pays tribute to the influential female artists of the 1990s and the impact they ha...
Genius Albums
ICON by Reba McEntire
Get all the lyrics to songs on ICON and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Reba #1's by Reba McEntire
Get all the lyrics to songs on Reba #1's and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.