Lyrics of 'Bad Penny' by Billy Bragg

I have a letter from her
When she worked for the "Woman's Realm"
And all the things she promised me
She promised herself as well
She said, "I want my freedom"
And ran off along the beach
It's hard to love a girl so near
Yet so far out of reach

She came back when the tide came in
And introduced her friend to me
She said, "Don't ring while he is here"
And gave me back my poetry
She expected me to understand
As she's always done this before
And now she asks me
"Why don't you send me poems anymore?"

And she steals more than she buys
You can see it in her eyes
And she'll come back as soon as she's ready
She's a bad penny

Then she comes back and asks me
To sing all her favourite songs
As if she's never been away
As if she's done nothing wrong
But I've come to the conclusion
That she doesn't realise a thing
And she probably still thinks I love her
And she doesn't know that it's a sin