Steel Mill Girls

You know, we were steel mill girls

That’s--that’s who we were

We were not girls

Who could have babies

That was what you did

After you had a husband

And we didn’t have husbands

Not until we were around--

Oh people used to call me Old Maid

They’d say Old Maid

And I’d throw ‘em the finger

Or they’d call me a dyke or something
And I didn’t care

Because I knew who I was

And I knew some dykes too

And they were nice girls

I trusted them alone in a room

And I couldn’t say that

For a lot of the guys I knew

So I didn’t care when a guy at the bar

Would call me that

Didn’t bother me at all

Old Maid either

I really didn’t care

You hear worse on the floor

Of the factory

From the guys and the girls

So you get used to it

You don’t go home

And cry about it

But when you get pregnant

And sometimes you do

You do get pregnant

And when that happens

You didn’t have many choices, you know?

Somebody knows a guy

That’s what you would hear

Somebody knows a guy

And you can go see that guy

And he’ll do this and that

And you pay him this and that

And if you can’t pay?
If you have no money?

--And a lot of us didn’t have any money

Not for something like that

Not for anything, really

Except eating and having a roof

Over your head

Giving your parents some money
At the end of the week

Because a lot of us

--Most of us

Still lived at home

So maybe you couldn’t pay the guy

That somebody knows

And so maybe you go see

The guy who got you in trouble

Because maybe he can help you?

You care if I smoke?

Fucking things

Are going to kill me

But they haven’t yet

What was--Right, the guy

The guy who knocked you up

You go see him

And if you’re lucky

He’s nice

Maybe he’s nice

And maybe he can pay for you

To get your situation taken care of

Still though--by the guy somebody knows

Not by a doctor

You’re not going to a doctor

No way

No way

And that’s your, you know

Your best case scenario

That’s if everything goes well

And you get lucky

And a lot of girls

Weren’t lucky

I mean, you get pregnant

And you’re a steel mill girl

You’re not that lucky anyway

But if that happens

And the guy who got you that way

That don’t want anything to do with you

And your family doesn’t have money

Then--

Then what?

Because you still can’t have the baby

You’re not having the baby

So what do you do?

What do you think we did?

We did all kinds of things

Nothing to be proud of

Nothing that you’d, uh--

Be happy to do

Some girls really hurt themselves

Some girls even died

I’m not kidding with you here

I knew girls

Who died

That happened

That really happened

And, uh...I’m glad we don’t have that anymore

I’m really glad

That’s all done with

Because you shouldn’t have to count on being lucky

If you’re in trouble

And you’re out there

Trying to support your family

Trying to do right by yourself

Get yourself somewhere

Maybe put away some money

So you can make something

Of yourself

Well, what are you gonna do?

Honestly, I mean--

What are you gonna do?