This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
I've watched the children come and go
A late, long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound, the smell of swingset hands
I will try to sing a happy song
I'll try and make a happy game to play
"Come play with me" I whispered to my newfound friend
Tell me what it's like to go outside
I've never been
Tell me what it's like to just go outside
I've never been
And I never will
I'm not supposed to be like this
I'm not supposed to be like this, but it's okay
Hey, hey, hey, those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself, those kids are looking at me
They're laughing and they're running over here
They're laughing and they're running over here
What do I do, what should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?
I said I'm not supposed to be like this
Let's try to find a happy game to play
Let's try to find a happy game to play
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay, okay
A late, long march into spring
I sit and watch those children
Jump in the tall grass
Leap the sprinkler
Walk in the ground
Bicycle clothespin spokes
The sound, the smell of swingset hands
I will try to sing a happy song
I'll try and make a happy game to play
"Come play with me" I whispered to my newfound friend
Tell me what it's like to go outside
I've never been
Tell me what it's like to just go outside
I've never been
And I never will
I'm not supposed to be like this
I'm not supposed to be like this, but it's okay
Hey, hey, hey, those kids are looking at me
I told my friend myself, those kids are looking at me
They're laughing and they're running over here
They're laughing and they're running over here
What do I do, what should I do?
What do I say?
What can I say?
I said I'm not supposed to be like this
Let's try to find a happy game to play
Let's try to find a happy game to play
I'm not supposed to be like this
But it's okay, okay
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
The Wrong Child Lyrics as written by Michael E. Mills Michael Stipe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I Googled this and found a site that said it's about a story in the newspaper about a kid that had been really badly burned and him going outside again. But I'm not sure about that. Because it says the kid's never been outside. It makes me think of an abused child creating an imaginary friend, or a kid with haemophillia who couldn't go and play with the other kids and everyone else made fun of them for it.