Society's Child (Baby, I've Been Thinking)
Composer(s): Janis Ian
First release by: Janis Ian



Come to my door, baby
Face is clean and shining black as night
My mother went to answer 
you know you looked so fine
Now I could 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"
My teachers all laugh, the smirking stares
Cutting deep down in our affairs
Preachers of equality
Think they believe it, then 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 all my listening
Gonna raise my head up high
One of these days I'm gonna raise up my glistening wings and fly
But that day will have to wait for a while
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 anymore baby
Can't see you anymore
No, I don't want to see you anymore, baby