There on her dresser, a faded old picture
Of one, Valentino, who'd stolen her heart
He had escorted her once to a premiere
Of something in which she had played a small part

Hollywood gossips reported them lovers
But they would write anything if they were paid
And he went on to being a great movie star
But she never made the grade

And so she lived within her mind
She loved him till the day she died
And in her dreams, he ran slow-motion toward her
With his arms open wide

Oh, how she lived within her mind
She dreamed of how they danced and dined
She ran the reel again and again
Playing her lines as she did then

She earned her living by waiting on tables
She worked on the swing shift for thirty-five years
And every Christmas they gave her a bonus
She drowned all her sorrows in memories and beers

And on his birthday she'd pay him a visit
And lovingly placed flowers there on his grave
And she never once let any other man take her
None did she ever crave

Oh, how she lived within her mind
She loved him till the day she died
And in her dreams, he ran slow-motion towards her
With his arms open wide

Oh, how she lived within her mind
She dreamed of how they danced and dined
She ran the reel again and again
Playing her lines as she did then

There on the beach on a soft windy evening
A couple were strolling along in the sand
There near the water, a woman was lying
A dried old carnation was crushed in her hand

There on the beach where he loved to go walking
She'd fallen to dreaming his arms held her tight
And her face wore a trace of a bittersweet smile
That faded into the night

Oh, how she'd lived within her mind
She loved him till the day she died
And in her dreams, he ran slow-motion towards her
With his arms open wide

Oh, how she lived within her mind
She dreamed of how they danced and dined
She ran the reel again and again
Playing her lines as she did then