Child: "Mommy! Daddy...Mommy! Daddy!... Mom? Dad?"

Man: "You have no mother or father."

Child: "Yeah I do!"

Man: "No, they left; they went somewhere else."

Child: "No, you're right here! I do!"

Man: "I'm not; I don't know you."

Child: "Daddy … "

Man: "Don't touch me; don't call me that in public."


Lyrics submitted by DJelectricaltape

Motherless Bastard song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Did anyone else find that opening dialogue a bit disturbing? The distress in the child's voice makes me feel awful. The rest of the song isn't at all, but that first part...

    deathwriter08on April 10, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Yeah that first part really bothered me. It reminded me of my own father who I barely know despite living in the same town and seeing each other in the same restaurant occasionally. I have this feeling that if I said, "hey, dad, wanna talk?" He'd tell me not to call him that in public and to never speak to him again.

    Aquarius121on August 27, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Link(s)

    Turns out the sample was a legit conversation o.O Here's an excerpt from an interview The Books did with Pitchfork (pitchfork.com/features/interviews/5920-the-books/)

    NICK: [...] What's a good example… like, "Motherless Bastard"-- that sample is one I recorded myself when I was in the Aquarium of the Pacific in Los Angeles.

    PITCHFORK: Wow, that's an actual person? NICK: Yeah, they had this great jellyfish exhibit, these Portuguese Man-of-Wars just floating, and next to me was that conversation. I didn't pay much attention to it but then I heard it at home later, and it was just…it kind of sets a tone.

    PITCHFORK: That's amazing that that’s a real conversation. It's laid out in such a way that I always figured it was from a movie. NICK: It's funny, stuff like that happens all the time. The more you have your recording equipment on, the more stuff like that you're going to get.

    tgbrowon April 15, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it's just kind of terribly amusing. and i mean terrible.

    loudenupnowon January 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song starts with a child being rejected by his father (maybe the father is teasing him). Then it progresses into a slow and melodic piece like in a traditional folk dance.

    I'm humbled by their unique sense of music.

    smallmuteboyon January 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm glad other people feel the same way I do... the beginning is really disturbing to me too. I really hope that guy isn't the kid's real dad. that's such a cruel joke to play on a small child. at the same time I'd be SO interested to know where they found these vocals... I wish there was some place where they documented the origins of all their samples

    predicateon June 28, 2011   Link

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