Understand the things I say
Don't turn away from me
'Cause I've spent half my life out there
You wouldn't disagree

Do you see me, do you see?
Do you like me
Do you like me standing there?
Do you notice, do you know
Do you see me, do you see me?
Does anyone care?

Unhappiness where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother
She'd hold me
She'd hold me when I was out there
My father, my father
He liked me, well, he liked me
Does anyone care?

Understand what I've become
It wasn't my design
And people everywhere think
Something better than I am

But I miss you, I miss
'Cause I liked it
'Cause I liked it
When I was out there
Do you know this, do you know
You did not find me
You did not find
Does anyone care?

Unhappiness where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother
She'd hold me
She'd hold me when I was out there
My father, my father
He liked me, well, he liked me
Does anyone care?

Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?


Lyrics submitted by Novartza, edited by iamkmello, Thrnylitleflowa

Ode To My Family Lyrics as written by Dolores Mary O'riordan Noel Anthony Hogan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Ode To My Family song meanings
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    General Comment

    I think many people are misinterpreting this song due to inaccurate punctuation in the lyrics. The chorus should read like this:

    Unhappiness? Where's when I was young And we didn't give a damn?

    She’s not saying she was unhappy when she was young. In fact, she is looking at her current state of unhappiness and then asking what happened to her youthful attitude when she grabbed life with abandon and didn’t care what people thought.

    And she’s being completely earnest about her mother’s and father’s love for her. There’s no irony or dark hidden message of abuse. She was happy as a child. The only sadness comes from the contrast between how her family cared for her back then and how she now feels that no one really sees her anymore. Back then she was “out there,” out of her self-consciousness, out of here guilded cage and living life fully.

    turantualon April 13, 2019   Link

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