Karoline With a K

She boarded a westbound ship in 1880-something
When the ice had finally melted off the deep Norwegian fjords
Leaving behind her a little more than nothing
The family farm and the nineteen years that had gone before
In one hand was a bag of pitiful belongings
The other held onto her little sister’s arm
Mother and Father, they followed close behind her
She was the only one they trusted since they left the farm
And the vessel left the harbor and they braved the north Atlantic sea
Even breathing seemed unfamiliar as they headed for the Land of the Free
Learnin' 'bout herself along the way
Now she was Karoline with a K
The family found their home in central Minnesota
Where the men broke rocks and the women kept them fed
Karoline was courted by a man twenty years her senior
On a pale blue sky day in the fall, they wed
And the summers lasted longer, but the winter’s frost was just as cold
Let her feel like she belonged there as the seasons would unfold
Minnesota was where she was bound to stay
Where she was Karoline with a K
I don’t know if she ever asked herself if she was truly happy
I read nothing between the lines in the letters that she wrote
To the rest of the world she’s simply a statistic
One of many hopeful faces comin' off the boat
But to me, she was a believer before anyone had called it the American Dream
To a future so uncertain, she closed her eyes and took a giant leap
A distant relative who paved the way
Yeah, she was Karoline with a K
Oh
Yeah, she was Karoline with a K