First Steps

You stumble 'round with your friends
At the end of the block
'Til the date you fall in love
Your childhood romancing
Is too advanced and
You can't wrestle with outcomes
When you're young
It just ain't done

And there's some parties and a pact
With your parents that were sure
You'd be sweet at sixteen
But you learned so much at fifteen
It came and left without much change

You're getting strange looks in the mirror
Taking shape are the things that you feared
With Chicago 'round the corner
Baby, contemplate your first step today

One day you're stumblin' around
The next you're thinkin' of the town
And the friends that you thought would always be
With old friends come those greetings
That your eyes won't be meeting

And though your insides want to embrace
You hardly recognize the face
And with Chicago 'round the corner
Baby takes her first step today

When she speaks her mind
When she speaks outta line
When she waves goodbye
Said she's gone for life

You stumble 'round with your friends
At the end of the block
'Til the date you fall in love
Your childhood romancing
Is too advanced then

You're getting strange looks in the mirror
Taking shape are the things that you feared
And with Chicago 'round the corner
Baby takes her first step today

Chicago 'round the corner
Get to sleep now if you can
It's a cold, gray heartache of a town