Here in the nineteenth century being of mixed race, well it's not the popular way to be
Being a woman of this gender, people can make life very hard for me
But I'm lucky enough to live in New Orleans, where a lot of women like me choose to flee
Here we have a chance at a life, but usually within our lives marriage to a white man just couldn't be.


The most a woman like me mistress to a white man love behind the secret of closed doors
There are even parties, where women of color like me, meet white men that usually own big plantation
But a woman of color like me, can never be mistress of a plantation, no matter how much we desire more
We are forced to love behind closed doors, never outside in the light of day.

One night I attended one of these parties, where I would meet and fall , desperately in love with a white man
We danced the entire night away, after that, I knew he had stolen my heart away

After awhile, he presented me a proposal, but not one of marriage, but a mistress, promising to be with me whenever he can
Him possessing my heart, I had to say yes, because from this man I never want to stray.

For so very long we have keep our love hidden, behind closed doors
But soon just like anyone, from our relationship I wanted more, I wanted to legally become his wife
He couldn't face ridicule or the fact from his family he would be disowned, in doing this, as his wife we would be very poor
A union like that would only cause us, being shunned and a whole lot of strife.

But that wasn't good enough for me, I had to show him another way
On this particular night, an awful storm rages outside
I decide to face the storm outside, showing my man, if I face a storm head on, then he should,'t care what others do or say, when we show our love during the light of day
So I go outside in the cold rain totally unclothed, hoping this would show him courage, then he would make me his bride.

In our love nest, my man was playing cards with another right down stairs
At the end of the game, he starts frantically every where for me
Soon he finds me outside in the storm, what he finds, all he can do is stare
When he finds me death has taken hold, so marriage for us I guess wasn't meant to be.