[Intro]

Mmm la la, yeah yeah yeah

Oh oh oh

Hey, hey

[Verse 1]

That young boy without a name

Anywhere I'd know his face

In this city, the kid's my favorite

I've seen him, seen him

I see him every day

[Verse 2]

I've seen him run outside

Looking for a place to hide

From his father, the kid half-naked

And I said to myself

"Oh, what's the matter here?"

[Chorus]

I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses

He's their kid, I stay out of it

But who gave you the right to do this?

[Verse 3]

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

[Verse 4]

Threats like, "If you don't mind

I will beat on your behind

Slap you

Slap you silly," made me say, "Hey, hey, hey

Oh, what's the matter here?"

[Chorus]

I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses

He's your kid, do as you see as you see fit

But get this through that I don't approve

Of what you did to your own flesh and blood

[Instrumental]

[Chorus]

I have heard 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 your own flesh and blood

[Bridge]

"If you don't sit in your chair straight

I'll take this belt from around my waist

And don't you think that I won't use it!"

[Chorus]

Answer me and take your time

What could be the awful crime

He could do at so 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 and the feel of warmth

You've given him these cuts and sores

That don't heal with time or with age

[Outro]

And I want

To say yeah

Want to say hey, hey, hey, yeah

"What's the matter here?"

But I don't dare say hey, hey, yeah

"What's the matter here?"

But I don't dare say hey, hey