[Verse 1]
         
When I was nin

     
e I learned su

rvival
         
Taught myself 

         
not to care
         
I was my singl

  
e good compani

on
        
Taking my comf

        
ort there
          
Up in my room 

            
I planned my c

            
onquests
          
On my own -- n

            
ever asked for

       
 a helping han

d
           
No one would u

        
nderstand
            
I never asked 

        
   the pair   

      
  who fought b

    
elow
              
Just in case t

               
hey said "No."

[Verse 2]
         
Pity the child

      
 who has ambit

ion
         
Knows what he 

           
wants  to do
         
Knows that he'

         
ll never fit t

he system
         
Others expect 

    
him to
          
Pity the child

            
 who knew his 

          
parents
          
 Saw their fau

              
lts, saw their

            
 love die befo

    
re his  eyes
           
Pity the child

          
 that wise
         
He never asked

         
 "Did I     ca

        
use your distr

     
ess?"
              
Just in case t

            
hey said "Yes.

  
"

[Chorus]
            
When I was twe

              
lve my father 

     
moved out
          
Left with a wh

           
imper -- not w

     
ith a    shout
           
I didn't miss 

          
    him -- he 

      
made it perfec

tly clear
          
I was a fool  

          
   and probabl

 
y queer
           
Fool that I wa

              
s I thought th

         
is would bring
          
Those he had l

         
eft closer tog

   
ether

           
She made her m

              
ove the moment

 
 he crawled aw

ay
          
I was the last

    
  the  wo - ma

/ 
n  told
          
She never let 

     
  her  bed get

 
 cold
              
Someone moved 

  
in -- I    shu

    
t my door
           
Someone to tre

-    
at her  just t

      
he same way as

  
 be-fore.

[Verse 3]
         
I took the roa

      
d of least res

istance
        
I had my game 

       
 to play
         
I had the skil

       
l, and more --

 the hunger
       
Easy to get  a

   
way
          
Pity the child

            
 with no such 


weapons
          
 No defense,  

            
no escape from

          
 the ties that

     
 bind
           
Always a step 

       
behind
            
I never called

     
    to tell he

    
r all I'd done
              
I was only her

   
 son!

[Instrumental]
     
   

[Verse 4]
         
Pity the child

      
 but not forev

er
         
Not if he stay

      
s  that way
         
He can get all

     
 he ever wante

d
         
If he's prepar

       
ed to pay
           
Pity instead t

             
he careless mo

   
ther
 
  What she mis

sed,
            
What she lost 

             
when she let m

 
e   go
            
And I wonder d

           
oes she know
            
I never call. 

      
A crazy thing 

        
      to do
         
     Just in c

              
ase she said, 

  
"Who?"

[Outro]