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The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90) Lyrics by Alice Walker

The Color Purple

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DEAR GOD,
I ast him to take me instead of Nettie while our new mammy sick. But he just ast me what I’m talking bout. I tell him I can
fix myself up for him. I duck into my room and come out wearing horsehair, feathers, and a pair of our new mammy high
heel shoes. He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway.
Mr. _____ come that evening. I’m in the bed crying. Nettie she finally see the light of day, clear. Our new mammy she see
it too. She in her room crying. Nettie tend to first one, then the other. She so scared she go out doors and vomit. But not
out front where the two mens is.
Mr. _____ say, Well Sir, I sure hope you done change your mind.
He say, Naw, Can’t say I is.
Mr. _____ say, Well, you know, my poor little ones sure could use a mother.
Well, He say, real slow, I can’t let you have Nettie. She too young. Don’t know nothing but what you tell her. Sides, I want
her to git some more schooling. Make a schoolteacher out of her. But I can let you have Celie. She the oldest anyway. She
ought to marry first. She ain’t fresh tho, but I spect you know that. She spoiled. Twice. But you don’t need a fresh woman
no how. I got a fresh one in there myself and she sick all the time. He spit, over the railing. The children git on her nerve,
she not much of a cook. And she big already.
Mr. _____ he don’t say nothing. I stop crying I’m so surprise.
She ugly. He say. But she ain’t no stranger to hard work. And she clean. And God done fixed her. You can do everything
just like you want to and she ain’t gonna make you feed it or clothe it.
Mr. _____ still don’t say nothing. I take out the picture of Shug Avery. I look into her eyes. Her eyes say Yeah, it bees that
way sometime.
Fact is, he say, I got to git rid of her. She too old to be living here at home. And she a bad influence on my other girls.
She’d come with her own linen. She can take that cow she raise down there back of the crib. But Nettie you flat out can’t
have. Not now. Not never.
Mr. _____ finally speak. Clearing his throat. I ain’t never really look at that one, he say.
Well, next time you come you can look at her. She ugly. Don’t even look like she kin to Nettie. But she’ll make the better
wife. She ain’t smart either, and I’ll just be fair, you have to watch her or she’ll give away everything you own. But she can
work like a man.
Mr. _____ say How old she is?
He say, She near twenty. And another thing—She tell lies.
Credits
Alice Walker

Alice Walker

About “The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90)” by Alice Walker

Read the complete lyrics to "The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90)" by Alice Walker from the album "The Color Purple". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90)" is performed by Alice Walker. from the album "The Color Purple" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90)", explore more songs by Alice Walker using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90)" is credited to Alice Walker. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Color Purple (letter 7 of 90)" appears on "The Color Purple".

Visit the Alice Walker artist page at /artist/alice-walker for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.