Janis Ian – Society's Child lyrics

Come to my door, baby,
face is clean and shining black as night.
My mother went to answer, you know,
and you looked so fine.
Now I can understand your tears and your shame.
She called you "boy" instead of your name.
When she wouldn't let you inside.
When she turned and said
"But honey, he's not our kind."

She said I can't see you any more, baby.
Can't see you anymore.

Walk me down to school, baby.
Everybody's acting deaf and blind.
Until they turn and say
why don't you stick to your own kind.

(Not sure about the rest of this verse. It sounds to me like)
My teachers all laugh, they smirk and stare.
Cutting deep down in our affair.
Preachers of equality. They say "Believe us"
but why won't they just let us be?

They say I can't see you anymore, baby.
Can't see you anymore.

One of these days I'm gonna stop my listening,
Gonna raise my head up high.
One of these days I'm gonna raise my glistening wings and fly.
But that day will have to wait for awhile.
Baby, I'm only society's child.
When we're older things may change.
But for now this is the way they must remain.

I say I can't see you any more, baby.
Can't see you anymore.
No, I don't wanna see you any more, baby.