Beautiful Little Fool

Do you know what I did when my baby was born?
You don't, because no one was there
My baby was maybe an hour old
And Tom was God-knows-where
Coming out of the ether, my head full of smoke
"It's a girl," the nurse said
And I broke, I broke

Do you know what I did when my baby was born
And I found out that she was a "she"?
I prayed that my beautiful child would be the fool
That I could never be

Let my girl be a fool, to whom it won't occur
That the choices she makes in this life are never hers
Never hers, never hers

The best thing a girl can be in this world
Is a beautiful little fool
The best thing a girl can be in this world
Is a beautiful little fool

The best thing a girl can be in this world
Is charming and blithe
In polished repose
An absolute rose
And a fool