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,
Find more similar lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.com/asabut 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.