Once we were single,
once we were young,
and once we were happy,
husband and wife.
But fourteen years married,
thirteen years harried,
now I don't care what comes of my life.
The first time he lifted his hand against me,
he knew the blow was hurtful and wrong.
He said he was sorry,
put his arms round me,
sorry love, sorry all the night long.
The next time he lifted his
fist against me,
I thought I'd provoked him, I
was to blame.
The next time, the next time,
and the time af ter,
I told no one, cause I was ashamed.
When anything crossed him, I got his fist
If dinner was late, he slapped me around
With begging and pleading,
stitches an d bleeding
Nothing would do till I'm on the ground
My mum come in, she seen I was crying,
seen I was cut and bruised
round the eyes.
My husband turned round
all smiling and charming,
says all she does is spend and tell lies.
He said I was out with
men every day.
He locked me in doors
and tore up my clothes.
My friend heard me screaming,
never come near.
Why did I stay with him?
God only knows.
If I go quiet, that makes him rage
If I turn and run, he's hunting me down
I says, why do you hit me?
He hit me for asking
Whatever I do,
I'm down on the ground
Each afternoon my heart
would start trembling.
I followed his journey all
the way home.
His step at the door
would nearly dissolve me.
When he walked in my judgment was calm.
I know there's two sides to every question
I may be wrong and he may be right
But he's got just two ways
to settle a quarrel
One is his left, the other his right
The doctor says he needs
my understanding,
the police seldom challenge
a man in his home.
Everyone knows him,
no one defends me,
after the altar a wife's on her own.
I wonder, I cry, I pray, I may die.
I run up to strangers to
talk in the road.
Three kids and no money,
so how can I leave him?
I lose my kids if I've got no home.
Sometimes
Sometimes he's loving,
sometimes he's caring,
sometimes it seems our marriage
may mend.
And then in the night I'm lying
and wondering
how soon will his fists be at me again.
The last time he hit me
he nearly killed me
I thought I was dead and glad to be free
I gathered the kids up
and went to a refuge
He grabbed a crowbar
and come after me
When I go out,
I feel him behind me
Three times I've moved,
he's found me again
If I kill myself, at least I'll die easy
At least I'll know why,
at least I'll know when
The refuge is bare,
the floors and walls echo,
nothing reminds me of comfort or home.
But here I can sleep,
and here I can hope,
here I have friends,
I'm no longer alone.
Thank