I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
That young boy without a name anywhere I'd know his face.
In this city the kid's my favorite.
I've seen him. I've seen him. I see him every day.
Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father,
the kid half naked and said to myself "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everbody uses, "He's their kid, I stay out of it."
But who gave you the right to do this?
We live on Morgan Street, just ten feet between.
And his mother, I never see her, but her screams and cussing, I hear them every day.
Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind. Slap you, slap you silly."
Made me say, "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, "He's your kid. Do as you see fit."
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
I have heard the excuses everybody uses, "He's your kid. Do as you see fit."
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
"If you don't sit in your chair straight
I'll take this belt from around my waist
and don't you think that I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time,
what could be the awful crime
he could do at so young an age?
If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear.
All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you.
And instead of love, and the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores that don't heal with time or with age.
And I want to say, I want to say, "What's the matter here?"
But I don't dare say "What's the matter, here?"
But I don't dare say...
In this city the kid's my favorite.
I've seen him. I've seen him. I see him every day.
Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father,
the kid half naked and said to myself "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everbody uses, "He's their kid, I stay out of it."
But who gave you the right to do this?
We live on Morgan Street, just ten feet between.
And his mother, I never see her, but her screams and cussing, I hear them every day.
Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind. Slap you, slap you silly."
Made me say, "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, "He's your kid. Do as you see fit."
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
I have heard the excuses everybody uses, "He's your kid. Do as you see fit."
But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
"If you don't sit in your chair straight
I'll take this belt from around my waist
and don't you think that I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time,
what could be the awful crime
he could do at so young an age?
If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear.
All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you.
And instead of love, and the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores that don't heal with time or with age.
And I want to say, I want to say, "What's the matter here?"
But I don't dare say "What's the matter, here?"
But I don't dare say...
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!
More Featured Meanings
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
i remember the first time I heard this song, I mean really heard it. I was driving down the road and when I started listening to the lyrics I had to pull over I was crying so uncontolably. I was never abused, nor any of my friends, but it just hit me like a ton of bricks.
A great melody and message about child abuse. I'd like to slap that mom silly.
Obviously an old thread but I was motivated to answer.\nI\'m one of those people who doesn\'t "hear" lyrics, despite how clear Natalie Merchant\'s articulation is in this track. I\'m not the biggest 10,000 Maniacs\' fan by any stretch but I was testing out my sound system and this was the 1st track that came up. I might have played it 20 times part of the way through and it grew on me. I like the jangly guitar rhythm.\nThen I started listening to the lyrics and sought them out. Ugh.\nThis isn\'t about liberal, non-liberal, the lyrics more than imply her version of a child physically abused. Child spanking? Personally, I\'m not against it either but the implication here is that it\'s much more than that.
At first, knowing how liberal Natalie Merchant is, I thought this was an overblown statement of spanking and calling it child abuse...however, when you get to the line about "instead of love you've given him these cuts and sores that won't heal with time or with age"...i start to think it is about a truly abusive parent, who beats the kid so bad he gets not only cuts and bruises, but emotional scars that will last forever.
@jlbrpt Wow, funny reading this 20 years later and seeing that FOX News brainwashed the Bushites the same way they brainwash Trumpers.
These are the CORRECT lyrics to a great son about whether or not to turn a blind eye to child abuse. A moving song with a great melody. Her singing in the last verse is very powerful:
That young boy without a name anywhere I'd know his face. In this city the kid's my favour I've seen him. I've seen him, I see him every day. Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father, the kid half naked and said to myself "Oh, what's the matter here?" I'm tired of the excuses everbody uses, he's their kid I stay out of it, but who gave you the right to do this?
We live on Morgan Street; just ten feet between and his mother, I never see her, but her screams and cussing, I hear them every day. Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind," "Slap you, slap you silly." made me say, "Oh, what's the matter here?"
I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's your kid, do as you see fit, but get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
I have heard the excuses everybody uses, he's your kid, do as you see fit, but get this through that I don't approve of what you did to your own flesh and blood.
"If you don't sit in your chair straight I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't you think that I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time, what could be the awful crime he could do at so young an age? If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear. All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do BECAUSE he belongs to you and instead of love, and the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores that don't heal with time or with age.
...and I want to say now, I want to say "What's the Matter here?" But I don't dare say "Whats the Matter, here?" But I don't dare say...
Duh!
DJacques75, I think that there is an implication in one of the lines that the song is discussing use of force on a child as the only form of communication. The following line seems to imply (to me) that the parent doesn't present any sort of verbal communication, just fear of beatings to keep their kid in line. I don't have a problem with spankings myself, but I've definitely seen the extremes that have made some people question them.
"If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear."
she said once that it was about a kid that it was beaten or something, I can´t remember, this song makes me so sad.
....thanks for updating the lyrics correctly!!
Yeah jlbrpt, but I don't think Natalie Merchant can or wants to distinguish between legit spankings and severe beatings. Has nothing to do with being liberal, necessarily; I am pretty liberal and the anti-spanking garbage makes me puke.