[Verse 1]
She looks at the clock
It's a quarter past nine
She hears his car as he pulls in the drive
Dinner's still waiting from hours before
She knows he's been drinking
When he walks through the door
In anger
He strikes out and she starts to cry
How much more can she take?
How much more can she lie?
[Chorus]
And she fell down the stairs again
But it hasn't happened since she don't know when
Was it in spring when she packed up the kids?
Or maybe in winter with his job on the skids?
Oh, but just like before
She'll have to pretend that she fell down the stairs again
[Verse 2]
A short time ago, she started a job
Serving chicken fried steak and corn on the cob
She started out shy
But she ended up sure
That a ticket to anywhere could be the cure
But he couldn't handle her change for the better
She tried to leave him
But he wouldn't let her
He says he's sorry
He'd never mean it
He swears it won't happen again
But she's so confused
She wants to believe it
She just wants this nightmare to end
[Chorus]