She was born in an oil-drum South side of Chicago When East St. Louis was not far away She'd lace knives to her boots and go down to the riverbed Skate around and around till the night became day The cannery fellows would follow her everywhere From the grocery store to the B.Q.E. With their hearts all aglow from her icy back at you stare Then her teeth became tight when her eyes couldn't see And she told herself that this was enough For a girl who was born in an oil drum She had her skates didn't need lots of stuff She didn't need it but she still wanted some She had one thing that she liked and she kept around She would take it with her to the riverbed As she skated around she always thought of a pretty sound that she heard as a girl in her mother's bed The sound of some breathing another breath in and out when some lungs expand and contract like they do And she looked at herself in the ice of the riverbed and she saw a girl one which she could see through And she told herself that this was enough For a girl who was born in an oil drum She had her skates didn't need lots of stuff She didn't need it but she still wanted some She still wanted some she still needed some She still wanted some she still needed some