Family Portrait

Pink

Uh, uh, some deep shit, uh, uh

Momma please stop crying, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said

You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growing up in World War III
Never knowing what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave

Daddy please stop yellin', I can't stand the sound
Make mama stop cryin', 'cause I need you around
My mama she loves you, no matter what she says, its true
I know that she hurts you, but remember I love you, too

I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away
Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have no choice, no way
It ain't easy growin' up in World War III
Never knowin' what love could be, well I've seen
I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave

In our family portrait, we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally
I don't wanna have to split the holidays
I don't want two addresses
I don't want a step-brother anyways
And I don't want my mom to have to change her last name

In our family portrait we look pretty happy
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally

In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
Let's play pretend act and like it comes so naturally
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)

Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Turn around please
Remember that the night you left you took my shining star?
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Don't leave us here alone

Mum will be nicer
I'll be so much better, I'll tell my brother
Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner
I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right
I'll be your little girl forever
I'll go to sleep at night


Lyrics submitted by WinterzEnd, edited by Joshua50

Family Portrait Lyrics as written by Scott Spencer Storch Alecia B Moore

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Cloud9

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Family Portrait song meanings
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69 Comments

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  • +4
    General Commentargh, hit 'add' too soon.
    also, this really hits home to how much the children blame themselves for their parents' problems. i blamed myself for years, like she says:
    "i'll be so much better
    i'll tell my brother
    i won't spill the milk at dinner
    i'll be so much better
    i'll do everything right
    i'll be your little girl forever
    i'll go to sleep at night"
    ... it took me years to realize it was not MY actions, or my brother's, that caused the divorce.

    jeez. i've never had a song hit me this hard. very well WRITTEN, and very well SUNG. god.
    sapphireskieson April 23, 2003   Link
  • +4
    General CommentI relate so much to this song. My parents are not getting divorced, but they are having problems right now. And we are having money problems, so the part saying "you fight about money" really speaks to me. I hear it a good bit. And I'm not close to my parents at all...like we hardly ever talk to each other. So I look at our pictures and we look so happy, but it's not the reality I live in. So to me this song is so amazing beacuase it deals a lot with what I'm living through right now.

    Pink is just amazing...she's a great artist and I love her. She's got a lot of talent!
    Dark Angel 35on April 13, 2009   Link
  • +4
    General CommentThis song brings back a lot of memories, because I've been through a similar thing with my family growing up. I'm 16 now and it's still not perfect, but then again, what is perfect?
    It's written from her own perspective as a little girl growing up who had to witness her parent's divorce and almost hatred for one another. She feels as though she's to blame, for not being a perfect daughter, when in fact, it wasn't her fault but the fact that her parents simply weren't meant to be together.
    teapotasylum16on February 17, 2011   Link
  • +3
    General Commentit is "i told DAD you didn't mean..."

    god, it's been 8 years since my parents divorced, and this song brings tears to my eyes. her voice is so powerful...

    towards the end, when she says:
    "i don't wanna have to split the holidays
    i don't want two addresses
    i don't want a stepbrother anyway
    and i don't want my mom to have to change her last name"
    just really stabs me in the heart. i mean... i love my stepbrother and my stepdad... but sometimes i wish it wasn't so complicated...
    sapphireskieson April 23, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI really like this song. With all the shit that's been going on, finding out my dad is an alcholic, my grandpa being in the hospital for 5 weeks, and my grandma dying, this song has been one of my anthems.
    jess354on March 07, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Commentthis is one of the most moving songs that I've heard in quite a while and sooo many people my age can relate to this song. and btw I'm pretty sure it's "I told DAD you didn't mean those nasty things you said"...I could be wrong but anyhoo
    natalion March 07, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI cry when I sing this song...I can relate to it exactly and it scares the hell out of me. "Can we work it out...can we be a family...I promise I'll be better...daddy please don't leave..."
    zacsteron March 13, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General CommentThis song is very powerful, My parents split up one year after marriage 7 years ago when I was 7. I dint think much, life just got harder for us. I wish we could look like the "family potrait" it just seems so special . I miss having one big family.
    Enzeon January 21, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentThis song is bloody amazing.
    It's helped me through so much shit, to know i can beat divorcing parents and heated arguements just as Alicia did.

    This song, these lyrics are my life. lol, how cliche ?
    Seriously, since i was a little tacker ive had these exact situations,
    every line represents my life and how i feel ,
    i have an older brother, and money, well we have none.
    Running away is things ive done in the past, and listening to arguemnts crying.
    Its my life,
    and i thank her for showing me i can get through this.
    Amazing song,
    amazing lyrics,
    amazing person (:
    Lissa16on February 08, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentCan relate to the song..
    Jessaon March 26, 2009   Link

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