Disclaimer: I don't own The Good Wife, or the song "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
He Thinks He'll Keep Her
She makes his coffee, she makes his bed
She does the laundry, she keeps him fed
When she was twenty-one she wore her mother's lace
She said "forever" with a smile upon her face
Before the scandal, she was the dutiful housewife. She was up early every morning to take care of everyone, but herself. She put everyone's wants and needs ahead of her own because she could, because she wouldn't be like her own parents had been. And for a while she was content.
She does the car-pool, she PTAs
Doctors and dentists, she drives all day
When she was twenty-nine she delivered number three
And every Christmas card showed a perfect family
She was happy with her kids. They were exactly what she wanted: good to each other, and growing up to be great people. In her world everything was just as it should be, until her husband started coming home later and later, or sometimes not at all. He always said it was work, but deep in her heart she knew better. Then their private lives were splashed across the TV screen and her husband was accused of taking bribes and making cases go away. Her entire world was spun off its track.
Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her
She ran everything on a schedule as best she could after he went to jail. It was her only way of staying sane. She started working to keep income coming in. She had graduated with her law degree, she decided to put it to use. And like everything else, this too became a schedule. It was all she knew. Schedules were her safety.
She packs his suitcase, she sits and waits
With no expression upon her face
When she was thirty-six she met him at their door
She said I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore
When he was released, she took him back. She didn't know what else to do. In her perfectly crafted world, he was a key part. But as time wore on, he started the pattern again, and she knew that wouldn't go through it a second time. It came to a head one night, after the children were fast asleep. He came in to see her waiting, his suitcase at her feet, and her perfect political wife face in place. He knew it was at an end.
Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her
He had thought that he could keep her, that she would always be with him, but everyone has his or her breaking point and she had reached hers. He wasn't sure how to live without her. He had lost his safety net.
For fifteen years she had a job and not one raise in pay
Now she's in the typing pool at minimum wage
She started working longer hours at the firm to make extra income as she was once again singly supporting their family. She put a schedule into place to keep everything running in tune, but there was something a little wild under her skin. There was some small part of her that had realized how much control she could exert over her life, and that it was finally time to take care of herself.
Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
At least until you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her