December 10, 2002
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FAMILY PORTRAIT
I like to think of myself as a man with eclective musical tastes: I dig Jazz, Bach, and Hardcore Rap. But sometimes I betray my sense of self and go waaaay mainstream.
I can’t stop listening to Pink’s Family Portrait, about a little girl going through her parent’s divorce. Check out these first two verses:
Momma please stop cryin, I can’t stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin’ me down
I hear glasses breakin 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 growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, you’ll see
I don’t want love to destroy me like it has done my family
As Pink says in the song opening, that’s some deep shit.
She sings about her desire to just pretend everything is OK:
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
And closes with a plaintive plea to her father:
Mom 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
I won’t spill the milk at dinner? That’s got to be the saddest lyric I’ve ever heard…
Comments (24)
I’ll have to give a closer listen to Pink….. I’ve only seen video clips of her on MTV…..never paid attention to the words yet though.
It’s even sadder when you’ve lived through it…
Indeed quite sad.
VM reads and bursts into tears.
Yes, very sad…one of the reasons I hesitate to play that particular song on my Xanga site…The lyrics are “true” to those that have lived through divorce…Pink has a great voice – very talented young Woman….
sad, indeed, that so many children of divorce think they are at least partially responsible for the breakup.
Eclectic musical tastes should not negate liking a mainstream song every now and again. In fact, it should prove how eclectic your tastes are. I just moved from Iowa to Texas and was stuck with a number of hours of radio. Despite myself, I began to like the Dixie Chicks’ version of Landslide and No Doubt’s “Underneath it all”. I’ll have to go hunt down that P!nk song now…
i don’t normally listen to that sort of music, but when i saw the video for it as i was channel surfing a while back, that song really moved me…it’s horribly sad to think about what kids have to go through when their parents don’t get along….and especially when the parents don’t ever even think about how it might affect them.
Yeah, that song has capture my attention lately, too. I’ve been stopping and listening to the words whenever I hear it. But you know, it’s not always like that. I was a child of divorce (4 years old). I remember being sad at first, but I got over it. A lot of how the child copes has to do with the how the parents handle the situation.
I had to take it off my computer because I had to playing constintly…my husband thought my computer was torn up…..with it repeating all the time..LOL
It is a very strong song….a great choice for Pink to record and release.
I have been hooked to that song for quite some time. I can’t help but think about my nieces.. my brother is in the process of a divorce. I like to think that the kids are getting through this without feelings of guilt or taking responsibility for what’s happening.
I was actually making my mom listen to the song while we were shopping. She too found the song touching. Powerful lyrics indeed.
I think Pink does a great job with this song……..although, it is a sad one.
This is my favorite song by Pink. I have always loved her songs but this one is special because a lot of people of all backgrounds can relate to it.
there is something extremely compelling about that song. i saw the music video the other day and it really affected me.
Sounds like my life as a child..about which I posted last week
It’s tough to survive that sort of thing..but for me it just made me stronger.
man… thats horrible… </3
you know, i really admire pink…she’s one of today’s harder pop personalities and she really does do her own thing, i wish she would do some punk music but hey…she’s still cool.
hey
while i am not a big PINK fan, i agree the song seems a lot like a divorce. but if you really look at it. she is growing up under an abusive family. just a thought
That is an awful song, I agree. I mean, awful in the sense that one can sing about that and make it so… heartfelt and true?
I really don’t like Pink, to be honest. I think she tries too hard.
I find myself not being able to understand that kind of stuff as well as other kids, because, well… my parents aren’t divorced. They’re happily married and have been most of their marriage.
I do find myself with personal struggles that others play off as nothing and could probably never, ever understand. The world just works that way, I suppose.
That song breaks my heart too…
When I heard that, I actually got teary driving down the road.. But then again, i am a sucker for sappy songs and movies.
i’ve never been a pink fan, but i loooove that song! i especially like the way she portrayed the idea of the song in the music video. the video almost put me into tears the first time i saw it…