What`s The Matter Here Lyrics

What`s The Matter Here

[ Robert Buck/Natalie Merchant ]

That young boy without a name I`d know his face. 
In this city the kid`s my favorite. 
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 "O, 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, "O, 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 you own flesh and
blood. 

"If you don`t sit on this chair straight 
I`ll take this belt from around my waist and don`t think that I won`t use
it!" 

Answer me and take your time, 
what could be the awful crime he could do at such 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, the feel of warmth you`ve given him these cuts and sores
won`t heal with time or age. 

I want to say "What`s the Matter here?" 
But I don`t dare say.