MICHAEL

MICHEAL HAD A SPECIAL FRIEND WHO'D VISIT NOW AND THEN
AND WHEN HE'D COME THEY'D SNEAK ABOUT AND END UP IN HIS ROOM
THEY'D WHISPER LOW BUT I COULD HEAR THEM LICK EACH OTHER'S WOUNDS

NOW I HAD NEVER MET THIS BOY WHO'S VOICE WAS QUITE FAMILIAR
BUT IF HE COULD CALM MY BROTHER DOWN
I'D LIKE TO SHAKE HIS HAND

MICHAEL WAS SO SENSITIVE AND MOM WOULD ALWAYS SAY: "YOUR BROTHER CANNOT HELP IT
BLONDE BOYS ARE THAT WAY" 

BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE TO IT 
DAD WENT OUT OF HIS WAY
HE'D PICK ON MIKE FOR LITTLE THINGS
AND BLAME HIM FOR HIS "LOUSY" DAY

MOM AND DAD WERE TALKING
AND THOUGH THEIR DOOR WAS CLOSED
I STILL COULD HEAR THEIR VOICES 
AND AS I HEARD MY DAD EXPLODE
HE STARTING SHOUTING LOUDLY BUT WAS STOPPED BY MOM'S MUCH ANGRIER REFRAIN:
HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT OF ME?
HOW COULD I LOVE YOU MORE?
I'VE GIVEN YOU FIVE HEALTHY BOYS
AND ONE OF THEM IS MIKE
IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT HE'S BLONDE
AND THAT YOU'RE NOT ALIKE
HE IS YOUR SON WHEN DAY IS DONE
AND WHEN MORNING DAWNS ON YOU

THE BEATING STOPPED FOR JUST A BRIEF AMOUNT OF TIME
UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN MIKE CAME HOME AND DADDY THOUGHT THEY WERE ALONE
HE PUSHED MIKE DOWN THE BASEMENT STAIRS
HE BLAMED HIM FOR A MISSING TOOL
AND HE KEPT ON ASKING WHAT HE'D DONE
BUT MIKE WAS NOT A FOOL
THIS WAS ALL BECAUSE HE'D TRIED TO GET AWAY THIS WAS BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT HIM BACK ALL IN THE SAME DAY 
THIS WAS BECAUSE HE WAS BACK AT ALL 
YEAH THIS HAD TO BE 'CAUSE HE WAS BACK AT ALL

MICHAEL COULDN'T ANSWER AND HE HAD NO PLACE TO RUN
SO MICHAEL CURLED HIMSELF INTO A FETAL BALL
AND HE TURNED AND FACED THE BASEMENT WALL
I HEARD ALLOT OF "WHY - WHY - WHY - WHY - WHY"
AND AS MIKE BEGAN TO WAIL 
I TRIED TO KEEP MY SANITY SO ONE DAY I COULD TELL HIS TALE 

WITH EVERY CRACK OF WOOD THERE CAME ANOTHER CHORUS OF "WHY - WHY - WHY - WHY- WHY"
AND IT WAS SUCH A VICIOUS BEATING I THOUGHT MIKE WAS BOUND TO DIE

 BACK ON HIS FEET BY NOW HE HIT HIM ON HIS LEGS AND SPINE - THEN WOULD KICK HIM IN HIS RAGE
BUT THIS BRUTAL MAN THAT WE CALLED DAD WAS YET TO WRITE ANOTHER PAGE

"WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GONNA DO"?
"I MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF YOU"
"YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE"?
"YOU'RE WORTHLESS AND YOU'RE NOT MY SON"

MOM WAS THERE - I DIDN'T KNOW
IN THE KITCHEN SOBBING LOW
HOW COULD SHE JUST LISTEN IN
SIT THERE AND WHISPER "IT'S A SIN"

THE BEATING FINALLY STOPPED AS I EVAPORATED OUT THE DOOR 
SEVEN BROKEN SHOVEL HANDLES LAY IN SPLINTERS ON THE BASEMENT FLOOR
MIKE COULD BARELY WALK BUT HE WAS STILL ALIVE
MIKE WOULD FACE ANOTHER DAY BUT HIS SOUL WOULD NOT SURVIVE

MICHAEL HAD A SPECIAL FRIEND WHO'D VISIT NOW AND THEN
AND WHEN HE'D COME THEY'D SNEAK ABOUT AND END UP IN HIS ROOM
THEY'D WHISPER LOW BUT I COULD HEAR THEM LICK EACH OTHER'S WOUNDS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                   tmp