1
I've watched the children come and go
A late, long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound, the smell of swingset hands
I will try to sing a happy song
I'll try and make a happy game to play
"Come play with me" I whispered to my newfound friend
Tell me what it's like to go outside
I've never been
Tell me what it's like to just go outside
I've never been
And I never will
I'm not supposed to be like this
I'm not supposed to be like this, but it's okay
Hey, hey, hey, those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself, those kids are looking at me
They're laughing and they're running over here
They're laughing and they're running over here
What do I do, what should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?
I said I'm not supposed to be like this
Let's try to find a happy game to play
Let's try to find a happy game to play
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay, okay
A late, long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound, the smell of swingset hands
I will try to sing a happy song
I'll try and make a happy game to play
"Come play with me" I whispered to my newfound friend
Tell me what it's like to go outside
I've never been
Tell me what it's like to just go outside
I've never been
And I never will
I'm not supposed to be like this
I'm not supposed to be like this, but it's okay
Hey, hey, hey, those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself, those kids are looking at me
They're laughing and they're running over here
They're laughing and they're running over here
What do I do, what should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?
I said I'm not supposed to be like this
Let's try to find a happy game to play
Let's try to find a happy game to play
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay, okay
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
The Wrong Child Lyrics as written by Michael E. Mills Michael Stipe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
The isolation of the intelligent/sensitive person can seem imprisoning to them. I'm surely not the first to think this is biographical of a Stipe-like individual - I even thought of Morrissey (especially of the book The Wrong Boy, about a boy, an outcast, who constantly writes to Morrissey for guidance in his life). The lyrics are magical yet pragmatic and filled with the yearning to be accepted, while also remaining an individual. The song is a defiant lament; a eulogy to estrangement; a dream