I believe 'waiting to listen' got most of it right.
The quotes from "I'll lend you a child" are very striking and I believe there could be various explanations for them.
One, the speaker of the song could have a strained or possibly even an abusive relationship with her parents. She's born, raised, and all the while torn down. Her strength, however, comes from herself. She identifies with the fact that just because people stare at her differences (or perhaps bruises upon her skin), she does not care because they will never see the true her, they will never know her or her troubles. She acknowledges that know one can help her because they are too busy clamoring for their spot in the world, to be the center of attention, as she does not. But she will never give in, no matter how horribly her parents have treated her or knock her down. She's almost broken, but she knows that she will never really be hurt, without letting herself be hurt. The excerpts from the poem do not particularly hold love (there is the line "we'll love him while we may" which could be a lie from abusive or otherwise callous parents who have need, but not want, of a child).
They say, "To all parents..." and then at the end,
"Now will you give her all your love,
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate Me when I come to call to
Take him back again?"
and the answer could've been the song from the child's POV. If so, this is an amazing song to point out the particular difficulties one might face in an abusive childhood and a jeer at those who abuse their right as parents.
The other explanation would be what 'waiting to listen' was touching base upon. Parents must raise their children and it grieves them to watch their children try to grow up in a world where people are so selfish. But the speaker knows and has been taught correctly that they cannot be hurt unless they let themselves be, so, as their parents taught them, they will never give in. And the end is just a reiteration of the fact that as a parent you must teach your children love and acceptance and strength, even though it's a grievous expenditure.
Either way, the song is powerful and teaches one to be strong and to never give up. Saltillo is amazing.
I believe 'waiting to listen' got most of it right.
The quotes from "I'll lend you a child" are very striking and I believe there could be various explanations for them.
One, the speaker of the song could have a strained or possibly even an abusive relationship with her parents. She's born, raised, and all the while torn down. Her strength, however, comes from herself. She identifies with the fact that just because people stare at her differences (or perhaps bruises upon her skin), she does not care because they will never see the true her, they will never know her or her troubles. She acknowledges that know one can help her because they are too busy clamoring for their spot in the world, to be the center of attention, as she does not. But she will never give in, no matter how horribly her parents have treated her or knock her down. She's almost broken, but she knows that she will never really be hurt, without letting herself be hurt. The excerpts from the poem do not particularly hold love (there is the line "we'll love him while we may" which could be a lie from abusive or otherwise callous parents who have need, but not want, of a child).
They say, "To all parents..." and then at the end,
"Now will you give her all your love, Nor think the labor vain, Nor hate Me when I come to call to Take him back again?"
and the answer could've been the song from the child's POV. If so, this is an amazing song to point out the particular difficulties one might face in an abusive childhood and a jeer at those who abuse their right as parents.
The other explanation would be what 'waiting to listen' was touching base upon. Parents must raise their children and it grieves them to watch their children try to grow up in a world where people are so selfish. But the speaker knows and has been taught correctly that they cannot be hurt unless they let themselves be, so, as their parents taught them, they will never give in. And the end is just a reiteration of the fact that as a parent you must teach your children love and acceptance and strength, even though it's a grievous expenditure.
Either way, the song is powerful and teaches one to be strong and to never give up. Saltillo is amazing.