Suck It Up, Buttercup - Amanda Palmer

Walking through the woods I saw a sign nailed to a tree

I knew the sign was meant for girls like me who couldn’t read

A man with a girl by the throat

A bottle of dettol

A bottle of rum

And a painting of smoke

Coming off of a settler’s roof

It looked just like a house I knew

Walking down the street I saw a sign nailed to a tree

I knew the sign was made for girls like me who couldn’t read

The rain came down I shut my eyes

I opened them again

I tried real hard to make some sense of what the pictures meant

A man hanging down from a tree

A man that look something like me

A bottle of dettol

A bottle of pills

And a painting of smoke

Coming out of a house on fire

It looked just like my neighbors house

C is for civilized now we will make you

And B is for baptism now we will name you

And P its for petticoat pretty and fitting

Now here is the paper that said you were willing

Old prescriptions left in bottles

You don’t give that to a child

Human chains that stretch for miles

You don’t give that to a child

Time is up

Suck it up

Buttercup

Walking to the bar I saw a sign nailed to a tree

I knew the sign was meant for girls like me who couldn’t read

I tried my best to understand but still I feel I’ve failed

I even tried to kill myself I even did my nails

A woman tied up in the back of a truck

A man in a uniform

A man with his pants down

And a man with a gun

A bottle of dettol

And a painting of smoke

Coming off of the Tasman strait

It looked just the maps from school

D is for devil and also for daughter

And T is for truth

And S is for slaughter

And R is for Rapist

And F is for Father

Its time for the test

Here’s your pencil and paper

And B is for Brother who hid in the bedroom

And F is for friend who stood by and did nothing

And Q is for quarrelsome crass little girl

And E’s for the end of the W world

Old prescriptions left in bottles

You don’t give that to a child

Human chains that stretch for miles

You don’t give that to a child

Time is up

Suck it up

Buttercup

Walking through the woods I saw a sign nailed to a tree

I saw the picture of the girl

I knew the girl was me

I’m sorry that you had to waste your paint on everyone

I’m sorry that I’m still alive

I’m sorry I’m so dumb

A is for I’m

Then I saw the sign catch on fire

The tree catch on fire

The woods catch on fire

The world catch on fire

And then I saw my mother

Walking out of the embers

She said

No more trees means no more hangings

No more words and no more learning

No more fighting no more fire

Go to sleep now mama’s tired

No more trees and no more hangings

No more words and no more learning

No more fighting no more fire

Go to sleep now mama’s tired

Go to sleep now mama’s tired

Go to sleep now mama’s tired