Shelter

Song lyric about the dangers of oversheltering children. The conceit is that I am visiting my ten year old self and warning them.

Hey there, kid, it’s me:
The man you’re goin’ to be.
I’ve come here to my past to talk to you.
There’s some things that you should know,
Before you start to go
Out into the world,
There’s so much you’ll go through
 
CHORUS 1:
Because your mom and dad both know
That when it’s time, you’re goin’ to grow
And then you’ll learn how tough the real world’s tests are.
Like an umbrella for the rain,
They wanna shield you from that pain
And so they shelter you, and keep you safe,
But child, they cannot keep you safe forever.

Verse 1:
The world outside the shelter loves to hurt you, knock you down
It is full of traps and pits and snares.
And when you emerge, you’ll falter
If you don’t know your way around
And I don’t wanna see you get caught so unawares.

Verse 2:
While you’re still a youngster, Youngster,
You don’t need to save your cash,
But it’s important to know how. Believe me, you. Believe you me.
Save your time and save your money
Self-indulgence is a trap with our name on it, so don’t waste, or you’ll rue.

CHORUS 1

Verse 3: 
Well, there’s a reason why your math’s so hard
And why you’re shy around your peers,
But it’s not your fault, and you are not alone
If you stick to what you love and do well
You’ll love these early years,
So expand your mind; create things all your own.

(solo)

Verse 4: 
You’re a loving person, little guy, 
And you love to do what’s right
Perhaps that’s the part of you I love the most.
And you need to know that it’s just fine
To love on anyone that you love, and treat them right; don’t count the cost.

CHORUS 2:
It doesn’t matter, in the end,
What sort of person is your friend.
If they’re worthy, and you love ‘em, that’s all cool
And there’s no right or wrong way to be human. You’re okay,
And stereotypes are only believed by fools.
Forget them. Find your own way; there are no rules.

Well, buddy, thanks a lot, and I sure hope that you will not
Shake your head when you awaken and forget all this stuff.
That shelter helps at first, But emerging, that’s the worst! 
Don’t be naive and unprepared;
Life’s already hard enough.

CHORUS 1
CHORUS 2

CODA:
And kiddo, I love you this way. Just stay innocent as you are today
Use your mind and guts to shelter you from the weather.
C’mon kid, get up. Let’s start together.
Copyright 2011. World Rights Reserved. Written 4:20-6:00 AM August 31, 2011.