Firefall – Cinderella

A true to life song by Firefall. This song peaked at #34 in the Billboard 100. Some of the band members were from other bands. Drummer Michael Clarke was from the Byrds, Jock Bartley played with Gram Parsons, and Rick Roberts was formerly with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Cinderella was released in 1977.

From Songfacts.

This song shares its name with the title character in Disney’s classic Cinderella, but that’s the only thing it has in common with that fairytale. Firefall founding member Larry Burnett wrote this song about a girl who wants the fairytale ending, but when she gets pregnant, her boyfriend kicks her out to raise their son on her own. 

This wasn’t, however, based on personal experience. Burnett was 16 years old when he wrote this song and says, “I certainly didn’t have a wife or a girlfriend who was pregnant and I was working my butt off trying to support us. None of that was going on. But it was certainly happening around me in other people’s lives.”

It took Larry about 15 minutes to write this song. He says it happened so quick he almost never saw it coming. “It was already there, and I was just sort of this vessel. And *poof* I went, whoa, that was interesting. It was a nice moment.”

Cinderella

Last December I met a girl
She took a likin’ to me
Said she loved me
But she didn’t know the meaning of the word

She imagined love to be grand
Me holdin’ her hand and
Whisperin’ sweet things and
Cooin’ softly like a song bird

Then one mornin’ she came to me
With a tear in her eye and a
Sigh on her breath Lord she said
“Hon I’m heavy with child”

I said “god damn girl can’t you see
That I’m breakin’my back
Just tryin’ to keep my head above water
And it’s turnin’ me wild”

Cinderella can’t you see
Don’t want your company
You better leave this mornin’ leave today
Take your love and your child away

Rockin’ chair on the front porch
I’m thinkin’ about all the things that I did
As a young man
Now that I’m old

I remember her and the boy
Did he have all the toys and the joys
That a young man should have
Before he gets too old

Cinderella couldn’t you see
Didn’t want your company
Shoulda left that mornin’ left that day
Took your love and your child away