She was standing there in the checkout line,
She might've been crazy, she might've been high, or maybe just mean, or maybe some kind of a devil - I don't know which.

She had three little kids, looked like punching bags, that she screamed at and threatened and treated so bad,
They were scared and embarrassed, and battered and bruised, and probably wished they could fly... if they even knew how to wish.

The littlest girl was too frightened to move, but the tears on her cheeks were as much from confusion at the mother she needed to love treating her like she just had no use.

Hey lady, either love those kids or leave them alone,
And let them go live in some other home before you ruin them,
Hey lady, you know they're too young and fragile to figure it out,
If you say they're no good with your fists and your shouts, they believe you,
Look what you're doing to them,
They're gonna either give up or get mean, then the whole thing starts all over again.

She was probably the victim of someone's attacks,
A tattoo of a snake and a chain on her back,
Yeah, I bet her old man, or her father, or someone, was a regular fountain of old-fashioned love and encouragement.
Now to the Christians and Jews, that's the sins of the fathers,
The Buddhists and Hindus, they talk about karma,
Psychologists say if you take love away and replace it with fear and abuse young enough, this is just what you get.

Man, that ten year old boy had his fists clenched in anger,
He was too young to kill her, but too tough to cry,
You could read the next chapter of grief written there in his hard, dark eyes.

Hey lady, either love those kids or leave them alone,
Let them go live in some other home before you ruin them,
Hey lady, go take it out on somebody your size,
If you don't finally kill them, you'll still kill them inside,
Can't you see what you're doing to them'

Everyone froze, no one spoke out a word,
We were sure if we did, they'd get hurt even worse,
She had already told them how they were gonna get it,
said, 'I hate you kids; you just wait 'til I get you home,' - that's a quote.

So pray for that mother, pray for those kids,
Pray for a world that breeds something like this,
Pray for the killers and pray for the dead,
Mostly, pray for the little ones still fast asleep in their beds.

Hey lady, either love those kids or leave them alone,
Let them go live in some other home,
Hey lady,
Either love those kids or leave the alone,
Hey lady,
Either love those kids or leave the alone.