She was not the girl next door
   But the girl from 'round the corner
   It was at the tail end of grade four
   When she came to school one morning
   And all eyes were upon her as she took her seat
   Her name was Amanda with pretty eyes of green
   And hair of blonde, strawberry blonde
  
   Springtime and dandelions
   And summer 'round the corner
   Was at the tail end of age nine
   With a million dreams before her
   She lived with her mother in an old decrepit house
   If there was trouble she kept it to herself
   All summer long, the strawberry blonde
  
   And by her face there was no way to tell
   It seemed like all was well in her world
   But the neighbours said
   Her mother had lost her will
   To gin and sleeping pills
   It was no life for a little girl
  
   Still I see her face framed in blue sky
   At the top of a slide coming down
   And when the sirens wailed
   (her mother had failed to rise)
   All the neighbours stood outside
   As Amanda just stared at the ground
  
   Time flies and years are piled
   I'd forgotten all about her
   When I saw her down the aisle
   Of a streetcar with her daughter
   Then I heard Amanda say as she got up
   "C'mon Samantha, girl, this is our stop"
   And they were gone
   Two strawberry blondes