You've heard of the house

Of the rising sun

New Orleans, ‘Frisco

Even Denver had one

But here’s a tale of every town,

A bit of history

About a place called Hope

And a woman by the name of Marie

When young Marie descended

From the train cars

Men strained to stare down

From Hope's ten bars

This dream clad in emerald green

Was a sight to see

In this place called Hope

A woman by the name of Marie

She went to work

At the grandest hotel

She was hired to keep house

Then kept the books as well

Surviving in the wild northwest

Like a cliff-dwelling tree

In a place called Hope

A woman by the name of Marie

(instrumental break)

It was broken hearts and busted backs

In the forest,lakes and mines

So men paid for diversions

Of all imaginable kinds

She studied the trade

Some say intimately

In this place called Hope,

A woman by the name of Marie

Still there when the headlines blared

That the stock market fell

Then the owner played a losing hand

And lost the hotel

But she'd saved enough

To buy the mortgage deed

In this place called Hope,

A woman by the name of Marie

But her standards were high

When it came to romance

Men had to bathe before

They were relieved of their pants

She had charm wit and brains

Only wives could hate

If a man could please her ladies

She might reduce his rate.

While resting with her roses

Three boys stopped by for fun

She grinned right back and told them

"You're too young"

"But for your price I'll show you

A dance you'll never see

In this town called Hope"

Said the woman by the name of Marie

So if you pass north Idaho

Any time soon

Stop at the Hope Hotel's

Soiled Dove Saloon

She's an odalisque in stained glass now

Set to oversee

This place called Hope,

A woman by the name of Marie

< Return to Store