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Family Affair Lyrics
<i>It's a Family Affair (4x)</i>
One child grows up to be
somebody that just loves to learn and
another child grows up to be
somebody you just love to burn.
Mom loves the both of them.
Y'see it's in her blood.
Both kids, a good mom,
blood's thicker than the mud,
it's a family affair.
<i>It's a Family Affair (4x)</i>
Newlywed a year ago,
but you're still checkin' each other out, yeahh.
Nobody wants to blow(?)
nobody wants to be left out. (uh-huh)
You can't leave cause your heart is there
but you can't stay cause you've been somewhere else.
You can't cry cause you look so down
but you're cryin' anyway cause you're all broke down.
<i>It's a Family Affair (8x)</i>
somebody that just loves to learn and
another child grows up to be
somebody you just love to burn.
Y'see it's in her blood.
Both kids, a good mom,
blood's thicker than the mud,
it's a family affair.
but you're still checkin' each other out, yeahh.
Nobody wants to blow(?)
nobody wants to be left out. (uh-huh)
but you can't stay cause you've been somewhere else.
You can't cry cause you look so down
but you're cryin' anyway cause you're all broke down.
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Concord Music Publishing Llc, Sony/atv Music Publishing Llc, Royalty Network, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Writer
Sylvester Stewart
Submitted by
funkboy On Jun 01, 2002
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Dance to the Music
Hot Fun In The Summertime
Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey
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You can't cry cause you look so down but you're cryin' anyway cause you're all broke down. what a line, man, people just don't write like this
Love that newlyweds lyric, though I have no experience with that kind of thing.
The last stanza of this song has personal meaning to me... heck, I bet it's one of the most identifiable lines in any song, ever. I bet everyone has felt this way at least once, if not a lot more, in their life. I hope my decision was the right one - no, I know it is! That's what I say!
I remember seeing a black woman in Louisiana, on tv after hurricane Katrina had struck. Wearily, she explained to the reporter "You feel like cryin', like givin' up, but you can't cry, cause then the kids'll break down". She didn't seem to be alluding consciously to this song, but the connection seemed all too clear.
Most members of the Family Stone had at least one relationship with another member of the band. Some had more than one. Each of which would have been a Family Affair, so to speak. I would imagine that would take its toll after a while.
This song seems to illustrate how difficult it is being in a pop band with family members. The Kinks, Oasis, The Bee Gees Beach Boys and Dire Straits take note.......