Tonio K. - The Rake's Progress

Lyrics

She was standing there in the checkout line
She might have been crazy, she might have been high
Or maybe just mean
Or maybe some kind of a devil
I don't know which
She had three little kids that looked like punching bags
That she screamed at the threatened and treated so bad
They were scared and embarrassed, battered and bruised
And probably wished they could fly
If they even knew how to wish
The littlest girl was too frightened to move
But the tears on her cheeks were as much from confusion
At the Mother she needed to love
Treating her like she just had no use

Hey, Lady
Either love those kids or leave them alone
And let them grow up in some other home
Before you ruin them
Hey, Lady
You know they're too young and fragile to figure it out
If you say they're no good with your fists and your shouts
They believe you
Look what you're doing to them
They're going to either give up or get mean
Then the whole thing starts all over again

She was probably the victim of someone's attacks
A tattoo of a snake and a chain on her back
Yeh, I'll bet her "old man" or her father or someone
Was a regular fountain
Of old-fashioned love and encouragement
Now to the Christians and jews that's the sins of the Fathers
The Buddhists and Hindus, they talk about karma
Psychologists say if you take love away
And replace it with fear and abuse young enough
This is just what you get
Man that ten year old boy had his fists clenched in anger
He was too young to kill her
But too tough to cry
You could read the next chapter of grief
Written there in his hard, dark eyes

Hey, Lady
Either love those kids or leave them alone
And let them go live in some other home
Before you ruin them
Hey, Lady
Go take it out on somebody your size
If you don't finally kill them
You'll still kill them inside
Can't you see what you're doing to them
They're going to either give up or get mean
Then the whole thing starts all over again

Everyone froze, no one spoke out a work
We were sure if we did they'd get hurt even worse
She had already told them how they were going to get it
She said I hate you kids, you just wait 'till I get you home
(And that's a Quote)
So pray for that Mother
And pray for those kids
Pray for a world that breeds something like this
Pray for the killers
Pray for the dead
Mostly pray for the little ones still fast asleep in their beds

Hey, Lady
Either love those kids or leave them alone
And let them grow up in some other home