In a tenement near the Henry Hudson River 
From my favorite spot on [bad word] fire escape 
I would look below. 
And see Mario 
Braving the ferocious dandelions 

Mario, our fearless superintendent 
Kept the garden green, despite the parkway smog 
But the flowering weeds 
Their fates decreed 
Pulled, to keep his rosebush from dying 

Then I would creep inside, curl up in my bed 
Something strong was pulling at my head 
Pulling at my heart 

Wild flower, growing in all the wrong places 
Wild flower, so lonely neath that lovely rose bush 
Proper garden's nightmare, queen of opened fields 
Tell me, who will love this wildflower 
For exactly what she is? 

Years passed by, we left that red brick building 
Left Mario behind 
For a brand new house 
But my dark brown skin 
On the white washed walls within 
Stood out, so it'd get me up and cryin' 

My growing pains had many rooms to fill, then 
Mother never know 
..Had a garden to keep clean 
While there was NY grease 
On her young flower from the Middle East 
She was busy pulling dendelions 

Then I would creep inside, curl up in my bed 
Something strong was pulling at my head 
Pulling at my heart 

Wild flower, growing in all the wrong places 
Wild flower, so lowly neath that lovely rosebush 
Proper garden's nightmare, queen of opened fields 
Tell me, who will love this wildflower 
For exactly what she is?