Family Portrait Lyrics - The Family Tree: The Roots - Radical Face

So we start with my father as a boy barely spoke a word of english fell in 

love from a distance he watched her working from the back fence 

He learned some words and some clever turns of phrase from his father's 

book of poets, she wasn't taken in that instant, but grew impressed with 

his persistence. 

They met each other out by moonlight, made love in the nearby woods, then 

her folks became suspicious when her cycle broke and (?). They stole 

away without their goodbyes, got married in a foreign town, made their way 

as best as they could. Found jobs and settled down. And then time moved on. 

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I was born in a river of blood on sheets from the wedding day. The room was dark and the stench was thick my father couldn't stand the smell of it. 

Mama died in the night cause the nearest doctor couldn't stem the blood 

loss. Father cried out on the back porch. My sister held me at the 

neighbor's house. Oh my there was a storm then, there was a flood of a 

different kind. Father's eyes were often vacant, but his hands were rarely 

quiet. Sister learned to take her hits well, both from life and the 

physical kind, but I was never one to lie down, despite who picked the 

fight. So we designed our hells. 

Father turned into a drinker, a dark bastard with a wooden heart. Sister 

learned to be a mother, before she ever played another part. And I became a 

little terror, I lashed out at whatever's around. Took some time before I 

settled, to find a mind that was somewhat sound. And like it always does, 

time rushed on. 

Photos 

Six years later father died in the very same bedroom. Many said it was the 

grief that did it, I have to say it's cause he hung himself. To be honest 

neither sister nor myself ever much regret his passing. But I admit it was 

a nice thing, to always know that we could feed ourselves.