[Verse 1]
         
Our father hid

            
 a lot of pain

ful memories
         
A bunch of shi

           
t he never sha

red
         
But when he di

              
ed, I went out

 
 looking for t

hem
         
For all the th

              
ings he never 


said
         
Thought he was

           
 born in 1948
         
But was born a

              
 whole decade 

  
before
         
Thought he was

              
 brought up in

     
 New Zealand
         
But he was bor

              
n and brought 

        
up in Samoa
           
We thought tha

              
t he was only 


half-Samoan
         
That his mothe

           
r was a German

 
 Jew
           
But I went and

           
 found his bir

      
th certificate
           
And he lied ab

         
out that too


[Verse 2]
         
Our father's l

            
ove was unmist

akeable
         
And he gave us

              
 еverything he

 
 had
         
And I guess th

              
at mеant prete

      
nding he was h

alf-white
         
To give his ki

            
ds a better ch

ance
         
My sister, she

              
 lives out in 


New York City
         
Been there sin

              
ce I was seven


teen
         
And I think sh

              
e hates it, bu

       
t like most Ne

w Yorkers
         
She just can't

              
 bring herself

    
 to leave
         
She used to lo

              
ve to watch ou

  
r father cooki

ng
         
And imitate th

             
e things she'd

 seen
         
And now she ma

              
kes the most a


mazing things
         
And she also s

              
ings better th

   
an me
           
And when he di

              
ed, she and he

  
r husband stay

ed
      
To keep my mot

         
her company
        
And even thoug

              
h it fucked th

   
em up a lot
           
They did a bet

           
ter job than m

e


[Verse 3]
         
And I wish tha

              
t we could see

      
 them every we

ekend
         
And she could 

              
cook her famou

  
s meals
         
And I wish tha

              
t I could hang

     
 out with her 

husband
         
More than a co

              
uple of times 

  
a year
         
Our brother We

          
sley is a quie

t man
         
And he is the 

             
second of us f

our
         
And he inherit

       
ed our father'

s hands
         
But he looks l

              
ike me a littl

  
e more
         
He has a love 

         
that's unmista

kable
         
And he's seen 

              
police brutali


ty
         
He lives in Au

              
ckland with hi

  
s wife and dog
         
And he stands 

              
a shade above 

    
six-three
           
Our father lef

             
t him with a c

ousin then
       
He got into tr

      
ouble frequent

ly
        
Me and my sist

        
er only heard 

of him
           
In two-thousan

        
d-and-eighteen


[Verse 4]
         
Our brother Ma

           
tthew is a bak

er, and
         
He stands a mi

           
ghty seven fee

t
         
He was brought

         
 up in a Māori

 family
         
And speaks Te 

          
Reo fluently
         
He didn't know

           
 about our fat

her 'til I
         
I guess he was

           
 about eightee

n
         
And he did som

              
e time for som

       
ething awesome
         
And he's the s

              
weetest guy yo

          
u'll ever meet
           
He came to mee

          
t me at a fest

ival
         
And he told me

           
 everything he

 
 knew
           
That our fathe

           
r left him at 

    
the hospital
             
But if he forg

#            
ives him, then

        
 I should too


[Interlude]
         
La-la-la-la, l

        
a-la-la-la, la

-la-la
         
La-la-la-la, l

        
a-la-la-la
         
La-la-la-la, l

        
a-la-la-la, la

-la-la
         
La-la-la-la, l

      
a-la-la


[Verse 5]
         
I know our fat

            
her had his re

asons
         
But that can n

              
ever make it r

        
ight or fair
         
And I hate mys

              
elf for steali

   
ng all his lov

e
         
When my brothe

              
rs thought tha

         
t he was dead
           
So as I dig th

             
rough the coll

ateral
       
The secrets hi

             
d throughout t

   
he years
         
I know I'll ha

         
rdly ever answ


er them
             
But it's the w

#          
ay to keep him

 
 near


[Outro]
         
La-la-la-la, l

        
a-la-la-la, la

-la-la
         
La-la-la-la, l

        
a-la-la-la
         
La-la-la-la, l

        
a-la-la-la, la

-la
           
La-la-la-la, l

       
a-la, la-la