P. J. Harvey - The Piano lyrics

Listen up now everybody

All you kids across the land

Listen up now everybody

Parents don't understand:

You know parents are the same

No matter time nor place

They don't understand that us kids

Are going to make some mistakes

So to you, all the kids all across the land

There's no need to argue

Parents just don't understand

I remember one year

My mom took me school shopping

It was me, my brother, my mom, oh, my pop, and my little sister

All hopped in the car

We headed downtown to the gallery mall

My mom started bugging with the clothes she chose

I didn't say nothing at first

I just turned up my nose

She said, "what's wrong? this shirt cost $20"

We said, "mom, this shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar!"

The next half hour was the same old thing

My mother buying me clothes from 1983

And then she lost her mind and did the ultimate

I asked her for adidas and she bought me zips!

I said, "mom, what are you doing, you're ruining my rep"

She said, "you're only sixteen, you don't have a rep yet"

I (we) said, "mom, let's put these clothes back, please"

She said "no, you go to school to learn not for a fashion show"

I said, "this isn't family matters , come on mom, i'm not erkle

Mom, please put back the high water pants with lime circles

But if you don't want to i can live with that but

You gotta put back the double-knit reversible slacks"

She wasn't moved - everything stayed the same

Inevitably the first day of school came

I thought i could get over, i tried to play sick

But my mom said, "no, no way, uh-uh, forget it"

There was nothing i could do, i tried to relax

I got dressed up in those ancient artifacts

And when i walked into school, it was just as i thought

The kids were cracking up laughing at the clothes mom bought

And those who weren't laughing still had a ball

Because they were pointing and whispering

As i walked down the hall

I got home and told my mom how my day went

She said, "if they were laughing you don't need them,

"cause they're not good friends"

For the next six hours i tried to explain to my mom

That i was gonna have to go through this about 200 more times

So to you all the kids all across the land

There's no need to argue

Parents just don't understand

[mom] i don't care if you and your friend are a m ing each other

[kid] it's iming

[mom] get over here right now

[kid] there's no explaining grown ups

[dad] hey i'm with it, i like that justin timberland guy

[kid] it's timerlake

[dad] hey you wanna see me do the moon walk again

[mom] i loved when your father did the moon walk

[kid] what? shhhhh!

[dad] what's the shizzle my uh grizzle

[kid] if you loved me you'd stop

[dad] grizzly bear

[kid] they just don't understand

[dad] mom and dad in effect

We're like your total homies your posse