The smell of gardenias, sweet and thick, tickle the back of my nose
Grandma passes the green beans and bacon to grandpa
Sorry sweetie, she pats my back, didn’t mean to reach

The smell of gardenias mingles with burning oil and hot exhaust
We’re almost to grandma’s house she says and smiles at me
We bounce along on the hard seat of the old VW

The smell of gardenias is faint on my homemade Barbie dresses
Barbie and Stacy prepare for a day at the beach while I slip on my footie jammies
But then we decide it’s time to dress for a wedding

The smell of gardenias envelops me as I cry
My head on grandma’s lap I wanna go home
Of course my mommy will be awake and waiting for me at 2 AM I plead

The smell of gardenias, sweet and thick, tickle the back of my nose
Look at this great new perfume I found, my daughter squeals, isn’t it divine
Yes, I smile, I love that smell