she was twenty six when she came to the burbs

where the family secrets stop at the curbs

i was nine when she moved next door

she had married a republican he was for the war

he was mean he beat her up

all the time preaching that republican stuff

hated blacks hated jews

knelt down sundays at our lady of the blues



over at my house things were sad

because my folks were always fighting that made me feel bad

i went to her door with a cookie tin

i said i am your neighbor would you let me in

she was big having a baby

she asked me are you hungry and i said maybe

she gave me soup a piece of toast

she gave me what i needed the most



yeah,

thank you for the love you gave

to me as a child

there must have been so much pain

that you never cried

in my



home away from home



then one day we found a sick bird

on the very same doorstep where i first met her

being a nurse well, she took the bird in

and we fed her with an eye dropper til the following spring

when the time came to let the bird go

this is what she said when i cried no

if you keep her locked inside

honey, she won't be able to fly



yeah,

thank you for the love you gave

to me as a child

there must have been so much pain

that you never cried

in my



home away from home

home away from home