I don't think it's so much child abuse from parents/adults so much as bullying. To me, it's an ode to previous bullies or tormentors, a more in depth way of putting forth the concept suggested by the quote (I believe it was Andrew Carnegie?) that "The strongest steel must go through the fire." In other words, the past experiences, awful as they were, helped shape the person into what they are today, a product they seem pleased with ("sometimes the best designs are done by damage"). Though the person will always carry the hard memories with him ("Never imagined you'd live on in me") it's actually a positive, if bittersweet, song.
I don't think it's so much child abuse from parents/adults so much as bullying. To me, it's an ode to previous bullies or tormentors, a more in depth way of putting forth the concept suggested by the quote (I believe it was Andrew Carnegie?) that "The strongest steel must go through the fire." In other words, the past experiences, awful as they were, helped shape the person into what they are today, a product they seem pleased with ("sometimes the best designs are done by damage"). Though the person will always carry the hard memories with him ("Never imagined you'd live on in me") it's actually a positive, if bittersweet, song.