Sheet music for “Kids’ Liberation Song” available from Utah Phillips & The Long Memory.
“Kids’ Liberation Song” Karaoke (midi with lyrics).
Performer: Utah Phillips.
Lyrics: Utah Phillips.
Tune: Utah Phillips.
Oh, look what I found out here in the backyard.
It’s fuzzy and crawls like its goin’ somewhere.
When I open my hand up to ask you my question,
You thumped me and hollered, “Don’t bring it in here!”
Well, I had a question I wanted to ask you,
And I had some thoughts that I wanted to share,
But you made me feel like I don’t know nothing,
And you made me wonder if you even care.
I’m stuck down here in a world full of giants;
You push me around like a dumb, little kid,
And, sometimes, you hit me just ’cause you want to;
I don’t even know what it was that I did.
Oh, mommy’s out putting her hair up in curlers,
And daddy’s wrapped up in his football and beer,
And maybe they think that I’m just a damn nuisance,
But I sure as hell didn’t ask to be here.
Oh, I ain’t a broom that you hide in the closet,
And I ain’t a dog that you bribe with a treat.
I’m tired of your threats and your punches and promises,
And I’d run away, but I can’t cross the street.
Surrounded by teachers and creatures and parents,
You say ev’rybody knows better than me,
But I know some things that you never thought of,
And you’d be surprised at the stuff that I see.
Oh, I see the ants, and I see the butterflies;
I see the birds in the tops of the trees,
And I got me a cam’ra that doesn’t miss nothing,
And my friends are anything smaller than me.
I’ve tried all I can to get your attention;
I’ll have to try some other thing, I suppose.
When you tiptoe in to tuck in my covers,
I think I’ll sit up and bite off your nose.
Now, ev’ryone’s trying to get liberated;
You’ve all got the notion you want to be free.
Red folks and black folks and poor folks and women,
Now all you damn grownups, stop pickin’ on me!