• That young boy without a name I'd know his face
  In this city the kid's my favorite
  I've seen him I see him every day
  Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father
  The kid half naked and said to myself "Oh, what's the matter here?"
  I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's their kid I stay out of it
  But who gave you the right to do this?
  
  We live on Morgan Street
  Just ten feet between and his mother, I never see her
  But her screams and cussing, I hear them every day
  Threats like: "If you don't mind I will beat on your behind"
  "Slap you, slap you silly"
  Made me say, "Oh, what's the matter here?"
  I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's your kid, do as you see fit
  But get this through that I don't approve of what you did to you own flesh and blood
  
  "If you don't sit on this chair straight
  I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't think that I won't use it!"
  
  Answer me and take your time
  What could be the awful crime he could do at such young an age?
  If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear
  All these cold and rude things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you
  And instead of love, the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores won't heal with time or age
  
  And I want to say, I want to say "What's the matter here?"
  But I don't dare say "What's the matter here?"
  But I don't dare say Writer/s: NATALIE MERCHANT, ROBERT BUCK
  Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

• Charles from Alabama“The kid’s my favorite..” is one of my all-time favorite lyrics. Heart-breaking. I’ve written a book, & one if the chapters deal with/ an experience I had, while serving as a Christian missionary in my early 20’s. The chapter is titled, “What’s the Matter Here?”
• Tom from Seattle, WaGregmon, this song is one of the most meaningful songs ever to me. So, I was taken-back by the lyrics change too, at first until I thought about it. I think she modified it because the focus goes from her "not approving" squarely to the father's abusive actions and that's the point of the song. One could say therefore, that the message becomes harder, not softer because it's not about what she thinks, it's about what she knows the father has done and there's no escaping that.
• Gregmon from Intelbuquerque, NmI went to Natalie's official site and was startled to find a significant change to the chorus,
  "I'm tired of the excuses everybody uses, he's your kid
  do as you see fit, but get this through that I know what you do
  and what you did to your own flesh and blood"
  
  This of course differs from, "that I don't approve of what you did...". It's her song, artistic freedom and all of that, but let me say, I don't approve of the softer message.
  
  
• Toni Marie from Lake City, FlI have to agree with Fred as well. I would love to see more of Natalie's songs on here. She is outstanding. I was actually looking for information about the song Wonder.
• Kilgoretrout from Bouca, CoThis is one of my favorite 10,000 Maniacs songs. Incredible lyrics and Natalie is an angel. Saw them when they opened for REM in 1986, all else pales. I agree with Fred, more Maniacs. Cotton Alley is my favorite, but I would listen to Natalie sing a soup ingredients label.
• Ray from Brooklyn, NyI agree with Fred. My personal favorites (in no particular order) are Don't Talk, Verdi Cries, Trouble Me, Happy Puppet, and a number of lesser known but beautiful songs from "The Wishing Chair."
• Fred from Laurel, MdI'd like to echo the title of this song, and ask, "What's the Matter Here?" when, as of 2009 Oct 27, only this and one other Maniacs song, "Eat for Two," and one Natalie Merchant entry, "Carnival," appear on this site. How about, "Candy Everybody Wants," "Don't Talk," "Jealousy," "Like the Weather," "These Are the Days," "Trouble Me," and "Wonder," just to get the ball rolling? A paltry three songs by this/these smashingly magnificent artist(s) is pathetic. OK, I'm down off my soap box now, and I'll go quietly, officer. But Natalie and her voice still give me goosebumps.

More Songfacts:

Free Fallin'Tom Petty

"Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty is set in Los Angeles, as he mentions Reseda, Mulholland and Ventura Boulevard.

Never Tear Us ApartINXS

"Never Tear Us Apart" was a live favorite for INXS, who would often extend the second pause for a while as the crowd went crazy.

Let's DanceDavid Bowie

David Bowie's "Let's Dance" is about more than just dancing. It's about dishonesty, particularly when we mask our true feelings.

Rap GodEminem

Eminem spits a total of 1,560 words on "Rap God," earning him an entry in the 2015 Guinness Book of Records for "most words in a hit single."

Everything Your Heart DesiresHall & Oates

The Hall & Oates hit "Everything Your Heart Desires" has no rhymes.

Fields Of GoldSting

Sting wrote "Fields of Gold" after buying a house near a barley field and enjoying the majestic sunsets.

Editor's Picks

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.