She said goodbye to her parents' house Kissed her daddy while her mama cried Boarded a train like a carousel She hummed the song that the ice cream man played when he drove by Oh my my my She loves Ohio in the summertime Though white picket fences offer no defenses And the children laugh in the streets Oh, but that's not all she needs "There's a great big world out there and I wanna see it There's a great big world out there and there's a place for me in it Though I'll miss my mother and the friends I know The light burns out if you wait too long There's a great big world I see and it's waiting out there for me" She hits the city with half a tank In a car she bought from a ring she pawned She spent the summer by happenstance There was a boy who could read her thoughts with his deep brown eyes Oh my my my But when he'd drink he was a different kind Though white picket fences shook her defenses And children danced in her dreams No that's not all she needs "There's a great big world out there and I wanna see it There's a great big world out there and there's a place for me in it Though I'll miss my mother and the friends I know The light burns out if you wait too long There's a great big world I see and it's waiting out there for me" I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly Inside her wallet's a photograph Of the place she's from and the ones she loves "There's a great big world out there and I wanna see it There's a great big world out there and there's a place for me in it Though I'll miss my mother and the friends I know The light burns out if you wait too long There's a great big world I see and it's waiting out there for me" I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn to fly I've never felt so alone I've never felt so alive I've never been so sure I could learn, I could learn to fly