Mama Lost Her Smile

I ain't got much to go on Just a box of photographs And every picture tells a story But every story has two halves I keep 'em separate In before-and-after piles Somewhere in the middle Is where mama lost her smile Somewhere in the summer Back in 1982 Daddy took a job in town And we all had to move I feel like there's one missing I've felt it for a while One that's gonna tell me How mama lost her smile But you don't take pictures Of the bad times We only wanna remember All the sunshine We don't live in pictures This is real life And they're about as different As black and white I don't know why it matters I just know it does It's not like it'll change things To find out what it was She would never tell us That just ain't her style But I wish I knew the reason why Mama lost her smile But you don't take pictures Of the bad times We only wanna remember All the sunshine We don't live in pictures This is real life And they're about as different As black and white We're all a little older And we're all a little worn We're all a little faded And we're all a little torn But you don't take pictures Of the bad times We only wanna remember All the sunshine We don't live in pictures This is real life And they're about as different As black and white I ain't got much to go on Just a box of photographs Every picture tells a story And every story has two halves --- Mama Lost Her Smile - Lee Ann Womack