Big dream girl in a party town, in the quarter where the Mardi Gras mask don't let down,
Living in a one room dump with an alcoholic mother, over the souvenir shop that she ran for her brother,
When the stench of Bourbon St. took her breath away and her hopes lay uninspired, she would close up shop, take the rest of the day riding a bus named Desire,
Riding a bus named Desire.

To the end of the line, back again,
Scheming away the rut she was in,
Ready to risk, ready to give,
Ready to love, ready to live.

She said, 'From the back side of the big easy, looking ahead only makes you feel tired, but I can dream of an undiluted destiny riding a bus named Desire,'
Riding a bus named Desire,
Off she goes.

She said, 'I may not have the kind of talent that the life I want to lead requires, oh, but I have a will, I'll learn a skill; I can go a long way on desire,'
'I can go a long way.'

One day here, next day gone,
Taking the leave she'd been planning on,
Maybe New York, maybe L.A., maybe Montana ' she never did say,
She kept he vision to herself, took off on an American flyer,
And she ain't been back, and some folks say she been riding a bus named Desire,
Riding a bus named Desire, yeah.

Hey,
Riding a bus,
Going somewhere.