Daddy always thought that he married beneath him
That's what he said, that's what he said
When he proposed he informed my mother
He was probably her very last chance
And though she was twenty-two
Though she was twenty-two
Though she was twenty-two
She married him

Life with my dad wasn't ever a picnic
More like a "Come as you are, "
When I was five I remember my mother
Dug earrings out of the car
I knew that they weren't hers, But it wasn't
Something you'd want to discuss
He wasn't warm
Well, not to her
Well, not to us

But everything was beautiful at the ballet
Graceful men lift lovely girls in white
Yes, everything was beautiful at the ballet
I was happy... at the ballet

That's when I started ballet class
Up a steep and very narrow stairway
To the voice like a metronome
Up a steep and very narrow stairway
It wasn't paradise
It wasn't paradise
It wasn't paradise
But it was home

Mother always said I'd be very attractive
When I grew up, when I grew up
"Diff'rent, " she said, "With a special something
And a very, very personal flair. "
And though I was eight or nine
Though I was eight or nine
Though I was eight or nine
I hated her

Now, "Diff'rent" is nice, but it sure isn't pretty
"Pretty" is what it's about
I never met anyone who was "diff'rent"
Who couldn't figure that out
So beautiful I'd never lived to see
But it was clear
If not to her
Well, then to me

That everyone is beautiful at the ballet
Every prince has got to have his swan
Yes, everyone is beautiful at the ballet
Hey!
I was pretty
At the ballet

I was born to save their marriage
but when my father came to pick my mother up
at the hospital
he said, "Well, I thought this was going to help
but I guess not... "
A few months later he left and he never came back
Anyway, I had this fantastic fantasy life
I used to dance around the living room
with my arms up like this
And in my fantasy, there was an Indian Chief
And he would say to me
"Izzie, do you wanna dance? "
And I would say, "Daddy, I would love to dance! "


(Doo-doo-doo-doo)
But it was clear
(Doo-doo-doo)
When he proposed
(Doo-doo-doo)
That I was born to help their marriage and when
(Doo-doo-doo-doo)
That's what she said
(Doo-doo-doo)
That's what he said
(Doo-doo-doo)
I used to dance around the living room
(Doo-doo-doo-doo)
He wasn't warm
(Doo-doo-doo)
Not to her

It was an Indian chief and he'd say
"Izzie, do you wanna dance? "
And I'd say, "Daddy, I would love to... "
Everything was beautiful at the ballet
Raise your arms and someone's always there

Yes, everything was beautiful at the ballet
The ballet
The ballet
Yes everything was beautiful at the ballet

Hey!
I was pretty
I was happy
"I would love to... "
At... the... ballet