Green-Haired Girl

[Intro — bright acoustic guitar, playful piano] Mama says when I was born The nurse looked down and blinked, Then looked at Mama, looked at me, Like maybe she'd mis-thinked. Daddy took one little look, Said, Well, ain't that somethin', girl? Mama laughed— God must've had some green left over, So He gave it all to her. [Verse 1] First day walkin' into school, Child, everybody knew me name. Hard to make a quiet entrance When yer hair looks like spring came. Some kid asked if I had dyed it. I said, Yep. He asked me how. I said, Painted every strand by hand. He might still believe me now. [Pre-Chorus] I've heard weird. I've heard strange. I've heard Is that natural, Quinn? Well, it's growin' out me head, sir, So I reckon that means yes. [Chorus] I'm the green-haired girl From a little Vermont town, Where the leaves turn every color Then come tumblin' to the ground. Got freckles on me nose, Got muddy boots and curls, And if yer lookin' for ordinary— Ya picked the wrong girl! I'm Chloe Quinn, Nice to meet ya. Yeah, I know ya've never seen Quite another green-haired girl like me. [Verse 2 — fiddle joins] Daddy told me, Don't mind starin'. Billy taught me how to stare back. Alton had a different method— Mama made him stop doin' that. So I learned to smile at strangers, Learned to laugh before they could, Learned that bein' noticed ain't so bad When ya're noticed bein' good. Then I started singin' louder, Found a stage and found me feet. Funny how the thing that made me stand out Made it harder to retreat. [Chorus] I'm the green-haired girl From a little Vermont town, Singin' songs into a hairbrush When nobody was around. Got freckles on me nose, Got big dreams in a little world, And if yer lookin' for ordinary— Ya picked the wrong girl! I'm Chloe Quinn, Nice to meet ya. Take yer picture if ya please. I'm gettin' pretty good at bein' The green-haired girl ya see. [Bridge — piano and voice, sweet rather than dramatic] Sometimes I wondered what it'd feel like To disappear into a crowd. Brown hair, plain clothes, Eyes down low, Never strange and never loud. Then I tried to picture Chloe Without the thing that made folks stare. [pause] Couldn't see her. Couldn't hear her. Didn't much like her there. So maybe standing out ain't awful. Maybe different ain't so bad. Maybe someday I'll be grateful For every funny look I've had. [Final Chorus — full country-pop band] I'm the green-haired girl! From the mountains dressed in gold, With a voice that's gettin' bigger And a world I wanna know! Got Mama's laugh inside me, Daddy's stubbornness as well, Billy's mouth— [spoken] Unfortunately. And Alton's— [pause] Actually, let's not tell. I'm Chloe Quinn! Nice to meet ya! Sixteen years upon this world, And I ain't gonna waste 'em wishin' I was anybody else's girl. So stare if ya wanna! Ask me twice! I'll give the same answer cheerfully: Yep. It's green. Yep. It's real. And yep— It belongs to me. [Outro — acoustic guitar and fiddle] Mama says when I was born, God had green left in His hand. So He put it on me head. [spoken] Personally? I think He had a plan. [beat] To save me a fortune at the salon.