Once upon a time, there was a girl
In her early years, she had to learn
How to grow up, living in a war that she called home
Never knew just where to turn for shelter from the storm
It hurt me to see the pain across my mother's face
Every time my father's fist would put her in her place
Hearing all the yelling, I would cry up in my room,
Hoping it would be over soon
Bruises fade, father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so afraid
The strength is my mother for all the love she gave
And every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
And I'm OK
I often wonder why I've carried all this guilt
When it's you that helped me put up all these walls I've built
Shadows stir at night through a crack in the door
Echoes of a broken child screaming, "Please, no more!"
Daddy, don't you understand the damage you have done?
For you it's just a memory, but for me it still lives on
Bruises fade, father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so, so afraid
The strength is my mother for all the love she gave
Every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
It's not so easy to forget
All the marks you left along her neck
When I was thrown against cold stairs
And every day afraid to come home
In fear of what I might see next
Bruises fade, father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so afraid
The strength is my mother for all the love she gave
Every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
And I'm OK
I'm OK
In her early years, she had to learn
How to grow up, living in a war that she called home
Never knew just where to turn for shelter from the storm
It hurt me to see the pain across my mother's face
Every time my father's fist would put her in her place
Hearing all the yelling, I would cry up in my room,
Hoping it would be over soon
Bruises fade, father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so afraid
The strength is my mother for all the love she gave
And every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
And I'm OK
I often wonder why I've carried all this guilt
When it's you that helped me put up all these walls I've built
Shadows stir at night through a crack in the door
Echoes of a broken child screaming, "Please, no more!"
Daddy, don't you understand the damage you have done?
For you it's just a memory, but for me it still lives on
Bruises fade, father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so, so afraid
The strength is my mother for all the love she gave
Every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
It's not so easy to forget
All the marks you left along her neck
When I was thrown against cold stairs
And every day afraid to come home
In fear of what I might see next
Bruises fade, father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so afraid
The strength is my mother for all the love she gave
Every morning that I wake, I look back at yesterday
And I'm OK
I'm OK
Contributed by Alessandro - 2010/3/25 - 09:42
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Album "Stripped"
Christina co-wrote this with Linda Perry of The Four Non-Blonds. In the song she talks about her mother being her "shield" and her childhood growing up with an abusive father. (www.songfacts.com)