her mama cussed
she was out of film
as her baby came down those stairs
looking right at her boyfriend
his hands, they shook
as he pinned on her corsage
and she almost cried
cause she'd liked this guy
from the very start
shoulda been just another first
and not the last
beautiful moment in two lives
when they looked back
but now they're

(chorus)

flowers by the side of the road
yeah, that's all that's left
of the hopes and dreams
of two seventeen year-olds
some dreams live on
and some, they don't
all that's left to know
all that's left to show
are flowers by the side of the road

could've been me
could've been you
how many times have i said
i've just had one or two
it's a sobering thought
it's a sobering sight
how like a bad, bad dream
you can lose everything
on a careless night
be the one who lives
be the one who's gone
be the mother whose heart
has to somehow go on
but she'll leave

(repeat chorus)